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THE  CATHEDRALS 
OF  NORTHERN  SPAIN 


The  Cathedral  Series 

The  following ,  each  i  vol.,  library 
i2mo,  cloth,  gilt  top,  profusely  illus¬ 
trated.  $2. gO 

The  Cathedrals  of  Northern 
France  by  fra  ncis  mil  to un 

The  Cathedrals  of  Southern 
France  by  fra  ncis  mil  toun 

The  Cathedrals  of  England 

BY  MARY  J.  TABER 

The  following,  each  i  vol.,  library 
i2mo,  cloth,  gilt  top ,  profusely  illus¬ 
trated.  Net,  $ 2.00 


The  Cathedrals  and  Churches 
of  the  Rhine  BV ffffoTl 

The  Cathedrals  of  Northern 

Spain  BY  CHARLES  RUDY 

L.  C.  PAGE  &  COMPANY 

New  England  Building,  Boston,  Mass. 


EON 

CATHEDRAL 

(Set  page  r54) 


THEIR  HISTORY  AND  THEIR 
ARCHITECTURE;  TOGETHER 
WITH  MUCH  OF  INTEREST  CON¬ 
CERNING  THE  BISHOPS,  RULERS, 
AND  OTHER  PERSONAGES  IDEN¬ 
TIFIED  WITH  THEM 


CHARLES  RUDY 


Illustrates 


Copyright ,  iqop 
By  L.  C.  Page  &  Company 
(incorporated) 

All  rights  reserved 


Published  October,  1905 


COLONIAL  PRESS 

Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  C.  H .  Simonds  &  Co. 
Boston ,  U.  S.  A. 


ro  ALL  TRUE 

LOVERS  OR  SPAIN, 
OTHERWISE  CALLED 
HISPANOFILOS 


PREFACE 


IT  is  a  la  mode  to  write  prefaces.  Some 
of  us  write  good  ones,  others  bad,  and  most 
of  us  write  neither  good  nor  bad  ones. 

The  chapter  entitled  “  General  Remarks  ” 
is  the  real  introduction  to  the  book,  so  in 
these  lines  I  shall  pen  a  few  words  of  self-in¬ 
troduction  to  such  readers  as  belong  to  the 
class  to  whom  I  have  dedicated  this  volume. 

My  love  for  Spain  is  unbounded.  As  great 
as  is  my  love  for  the  people,  so  great  also 
is  my  depreciation  for  those  who  have 
wronged  her,  being  her  sons.  Who  are 
they?  They  know  that  best  themselves. 

Spain’s  architecture  is  both  agreeable  and 
disagreeable,  but  it  is  all  of  it  peculiarly 
Spanish.  A  foreigner,  dropping  as  by  acci¬ 
dent  across  the  Pyrenees  from  France,  can  do 
nothing  better  than  criticize  all  architectural 
monuments  he  meets  with  in  a  five  days’ 
journey  across  Spain  with  a  Cook’s  ticket  in 
his  pocketbook.  It  is  natural  he  should  do 
so.  Everything  is  so  totally  different  from 

vii 


Preface 

the  pure  (sic)  styles  he  has  learn  to  admire 
in  France! 

But  we  who  have  lived  years  in  Spain 
grow  to  like  and  admire  just  such  complex 
compositions  as  the  cathedrals  of  Toledo,  of 
Santiago,  and  La  Seo  in  Saragosse;  we  lose 
our  narrow-mindedness,  and  fail  to  see  why 
a  pure  Gothic  or  an  Italian  Renaissance 
should  be  better  than  an  Iberian  cathedral. 
As  long  as  harmony  exists  between  the  dif¬ 
ferent  parts,  all  is  well.  The  moment  this 
harmony  does  not  exist,  our  sense  of  the 
artistically  beautiful  is  shocked  —  and  the 
building  is  a  bad  one. 

Personality  is  consequently  ever  upper¬ 
most  in  all  art  criticism  or  admiration.  But 
it  should  not  be  influenced  by  the  words  pure, 
flawless,  etc.  Were  such  to  be  the  case, 
there  would  be  but  one  good  cathedral  in 
Spain,  namely,  that  of  Leon,  a  French  temple 
built  by  foreigners  on  Spanish  soil.  Yet 
nothing  is  less  Spanish  than  the  cathedral 
of  Leon. 

Under  the  circumstances,  it  is  necessary, 
upon  visiting  Spain,  to  discard  foreignisms 
and  turn  a  Spaniard,  if  but  for  a  few  days. 
Otherwise  the  tourist  will  not  understand  the 
country’s  art  monuments,  and  will  be  inclined 

viii 


Preface 


to  leave  the  peninsula  as  he  entered  it,  not 
a  whit  the  wiser  for  having  come. 

To  help  the  traveller  to  understand  the 
whys  and  wherefores  of  Spanish  architecture, 
I  have  written  the  “  Introductory  Studies.” 
I  hope  they  will  enable  him  to  become  a 
Spaniard,  or,  at  least,  to  join  the  enthusiastic 
army  of  Hispanofilos. 

C.  Rudy. 

Madrid,  July,  igof 


IX 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

Part  I.  Introductory  Studies 


I. 

General  Remarks  . 

• 

• 

• 

1 1 

II. 

Historical  Arabesques 

• 

• 

. 

1 8 

III. 

Architectural  Arabesques 

• 

. 

• 

35 

IV. 

Conclusion  .... 

Part  II.  Galicia 

• 

• 

* 

66 

I. 

Santiago  de  Campostela  . 

75 

II. 

Corunna  .... 

89 

III. 

Mondonedo  .... 

95 

IV. 

Lugo  ..... 

102 

V. 

Orense  .... 

1 10 

VI. 

Tuy . 

1 20 

VII. 

Bayona  and  Vigo  .... 

Part  III.  The  North 

1 3 1 

I. 

Oviedo ..... 

1 37 

II. 

Covadonga  .... 

1 45 

III. 

Leon  ..... 

150 

IV. 

Astorga  .... 

167 

V. 

Burgos  ..... 

174 

VI. 

Santander  .... 

188 

VII. 

Vitoria ..... 

192 

vi 

Contents 

CHAPTER 

PAGE 

VIII. 

Upper  Rioja  .... 

. 

.  196 

IX. 

Soria  ...... 

• 

.  209 

Part  IV.  Western  Castile 

I. 

Palencia  ..... 

.  219 

II. 

Zamora  ..... 

.  230 

III. 

Toro  ...... 

.  244. 

IV. 

Salamanca  ..... 

.  251 

V. 

Ciudad  Rodrigo  .... 

.  269 

VI. 

Coria  ...... 

.  278 

VII. 

Plasencia  ..... 

.  284 

Part  V.  Eastern  Castile 

I. 

Valladolid  ..... 

•  293 

II. 

Avila  ...... 

.  302 

III. 

Segovia  ..... 

.  312 

IV. 

Madrid -Alcala  .... 

.  321 

V. 

Sigiienza  ..... 

•  335 

VI. 

Cuenca  ..... 

•  342 

VII. 

Toledo  ..... 

•  349 

Appendix  ..... 

•  369 

Index  ...... 

.  387 

LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Leon  Cathedral  (See  page  154)  . 

PAGE 

.  Frontispiece 

Cloister  Stalls  in  a  Monastic  Church  at  Leon 

48 

Typical  Retablo  (Palencia) 

50 

Mudejar  Architecture  (Sahagun) . 

64 

Santiago  and  Its  Cathedral . 

82 

Church  of  Santiago,  Corunna 

92 

General  View  of  Mondonedo 

96 

Mondonedo  Cathedral 

98 

Northern  Portal  of  Orense  Cathedral  . 

1 16 

Tuy  Cathedral  .... 

0 

128 

Oviedo  Cathedral  .... 

140 

Cloister  of  Oviedo  Cathedral 

144 

Apse  of  San  Isidoro,  Leon 

164 

Burgos  Cathedral  .... 

180 

Crypt  of  Santander  Cathedral 

190 

Cloister  of  Najera  Cathedral 

202 

Santa  Maria  la  Redonda,  Logrono 

204 

Western  Front  of  Calahorra  Cathedral 

207 

Cloister  of  Soria  Cathedral 

212 

Palencia  Cathedral  .... 

226 

Zamora  Cathedral  .... 

00 

ro 

r* 

Toro  Cathedral  .... 

248 

Old  Salamanca  Cathedral  .  .  , 

260 

List  of  Illustrations 


PAGE 


New  Salamanca  Cathedral 

.  266 

Cuidad  Rodrigo  Cathedral 

.  272 

Facade  of  Plasencia  Cathedral 

.  288 

Western  Front  of  Valladolid  Cathedral 

.  300 

Tower  of  Avila  Cathedral 

•  3 10 

Segovia  Cathedral  .... 

•  3*6 

San  Isidro,  Madrid  .... 

o 

•  326 

Alcala  de  Henares  Cathedral  .  . 

• 

• 

•  332 

Toledo  Cathedral  .... 

• 

• 

.  360 

PART  I 

Introductory  Studies 


The  Cathedrals 
of  Northern  Spain 

i 

GENERAL  REMARKS 

HISTORY  and  architecture  go  hand  in 
hand;  the  former  is  not  complete  if  it  does 
not  mention  the  latter,  and  the  latter  is  in¬ 
comprehensible  if  the  former  is  entirely 
ignored. 

The  following  chapters  are  therefore  his¬ 
torical  and  architectural;  they  are  based  on 
evolutionary  principles  and  seek  to  demon¬ 
strate  the  motives  of  certain  artistic  phe¬ 
nomena. 

Many  of  the  ideas  superficially  mentioned 
in  the  following  essays  will  be  severely  dis¬ 
cussed,  for  they  are  original;  others  are  based 
on  two  excellent  modern  historical  works, 
namely,  “  The  History  of  the  Spanish 

13 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

People,”  by  Major  Martin  Hume,  and 
“  Historia  de  Espana,”  by  Senor  Rafael 
Altamira.  These  two  works  can  be  regarded 
as  the  dernier  mot  concerning  the  evolution 
of  Spanish  history. 

Unluckily,  however,  the  author  has  been 
unable  to  consult  any  work  on  architecture 
which  might  have  given  him  a  concise  idea 
of  the  story  of  its  gradual  evolution  and  de¬ 
velopment,  and  of  the  different  art-waves 
which  flowed  across  the  peninsula  during  the 
stormy  period  of  the  middle  ages,  which, 
properly  speaking,  begins  with  the  Arab  in¬ 
vasion  of  the  eighth  century  and  ends  with 
the  fall  of  Granada,  in  the  fifteenth. 

Several  works  on  Spanish  architecture  have 
been  written  (the  reader  will  find  them  men¬ 
tioned  elsewhere),  but  none  treats  the  matter 
from  an  evolutionary  standpoint.  On  the 
contrary,  most  of  them  are  limited  to  the 
study  of  a  period,  of  a  style  or  of  a  locality; 
hence  they  cannot  claim  to  be  a  dernier  mot. 
Such  a  work  has  still  to  be  written. 

Be  it  understood,  nevertheless,  that  the 
author  does  not  pretend  —  Dios  me  libre!  — 
to  have  supplied  the  lack  in  the  following 
pages.  In.  a  couple  of  thousand  words  it 
would  be  utterly  impossible  to  do  so.  No; 

14 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

a  complete,  evolutionary  study  of  Spanish 
architecture  would  imply  years  of  labour,  of 
travel,  and  of  study.  For  so  much  on  the 
peninsula  is  hybrid  and  exotic,  and  yet  again, 
so  much  is  peculiar  to  Spain  alone.  Thus  it 
is  often  most  difficult  to  determine  which  art 
phenomena  are  natural  —  that  is,  which  are 
the  logical  results  of  a  well-defined  art  move¬ 
ment —  and  which  are  artificial  or  the  casual 
product  of  elements  utterly  foreign  to  Span¬ 
ish  soil. 

Willingly  the  author  leaves  to  other  and 
wiser  heads  the  solving  of  the  above  riddle. 
He  hopes,  nevertheless,  that  they  (those  who 
care  to  undertake  the  mentioned  task)  will 
find  some  remarks  or  some  observations  in 
the  following  chapters  to  help  them  discover 
the  real  truth  concerning  the  Spaniard’s  love, 
or  his  insensibility  for  architectural  monu¬ 
ments,  as  well  as  his  share  in  the  erection  of 
cathedrals,  palaces,  and  castles. 

Spanish  architecture  —  better  still,  archi¬ 
tecture  in  Spain  —  is  peculiarly  strange  and 
foreign  to  us  Northerners.  We  admire  many 
edifices  in  Iberia,  but  are  unable  to  say 
wherefore ;  we  are  overawed  at  the  magnifi¬ 
cence  displayed  in  the  interior  of  cathedral 
churches  and  at  a  loss  to  explain  the  reason. 

15 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

As  regards  the  former,  it  can  be  attributed! 
to  the  Oriental  spirit  still  throbbing  in  the' 
country;  not  in  vain  did  the  Moor  inhabit 
Iberia  for  nearly  eight  hundred  years! 

The  powerful  influence  of  the  Church  on 
the  inhabitants,  an  influence  that  has  lasted 
from  the  middle  ages  to  the  present  day, 
explains  the  other  phenomenon.  Even  to-day, 
in  Spain,  the  Pope  is  supreme  and  the  princes 
of  the  Church  are  the  rulers. 

Does  the  country  gain  thereby?  Not  at  all. 
Andalusia  is  in  a  miserable  state  of  poverty, 
so  are  Extremadura,  La  Mancha,  and  Cas¬ 
tile.  Not  a  penny  do  the  rich,  or  even 
royalty,  give  to  better  the  country  people’s 
piteous  lot;  neither  does  the  Church. 

It  is  nevertheless  necessary  to  be  just.  In 
studying  the  evolutionary  history  of  archi¬ 
tecture  in  Spain,  we  must  praise  the  tyranny 
of  the  Church  which  spent  the  millions  of 
dollars  of  the  poor  in  erecting  such  marvels 
as  the  cathedral  of  Toledo,  etc.,  and  we  must 
ignore  the  sweating  farmer,  the  terror-stricken 
Jew,  the  accused  heretic,  the  disgraced 
courtier,  the  seafaring  conquistador,  who 
gave  up  their  all  to  buy  a  few  months’ 
life,  the  respite  of  an  hour. 

And  the  author  has  striven  to  be  impartial 
16 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

in  the  following  pages.  Once  in  awhile  his 
bitterness  has  escaped  the  pen,  but  be  it 
plainly  understood  that  not  one  of  his  remarks 
is  aimed  against  Spain,  a  country  and  a  people 
to  be  admired,  —  above  all  to  be  pitied,  for 
they,  the  people,  are  slaves  to  an  arrogant 
Church,  to  a  self-amusing  royalty,  and  to 
a  grasping  horde  of  second-rate  politicians. 


l7 


II 


HISTORICAL  ARABESQUES 

The  history  of  Spain  is,  perhaps,  more  than 
that  of  any  other  nation,  one  long  series  of 
thrilling,  contradictory,  and  frequently  in¬ 
comprehensible  events. 

This  is  not  only  due  to  the  country’s  past 
importance  as  a  powerful  factor  in  the  evo¬ 
lution  of  our  modern  civilization,  but  to  the 
unforeseen  doings  of  fate.  Fate  enchained  and 
enslaved  its  people,  moulded  its  greatness  and 
wrought  its  ruin.  Of  no  other  country  can 
it  so  truthfully  be  said  that  it  was  the  un¬ 
witting  tool  of  some  higher  destiny.  Most 
of  the  phenomena  of  its  history  took  place  in 
spite  of  the  people’s  wishes  or  votes;  neither 
did  the  different  art  questions,  styles,  peri¬ 
ods,  or  movements  emanate  from  the  people. 
This  must  be  borne  in  mind. 

The  Romans  were  the  first  to  come  to 
Spain  with  a  view  to  conquering  the  land, 
and  to  organizing  the  half-savage  clans  or 

18 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

tribes  who  roamed  through  the  thickets  and 
across  the  plains.  But  nowhere  did  the  great 
rulers  of  the  world  encounter  such  fierce  re¬ 
sistance.  The  clans  were  extremely  warlike 
and,  besides,  intensely  individual.  They  did 
not  only  oppose  the  foreigner’s  conquest  of 
the  land,  but  also  his  system  of  organization, 
which  consisted  in  the  submission  of  the  in¬ 
dividual  to  the  state. 

The  clans  or  tribes  recognized  no  other  law 
than  their  own  sweet  will;  they  acted  inde¬ 
pendently  of  each  other,  and  only  on  rare 
occasions  did  they  fight  in  groups.  They 
were  local  patriots  who  recognized  no  father- 
land  beyond  their  natal  vale  or  village. 

This  primary  characteristic  of  the  Spanish 
people  is  the  clue  to  many  of  the  subsequent 
events  of  the  country’s  history.  Against  it 
the  Romans  fought,  but  fought  in  vain,  for 
they  were  not  able  to  overcome  it. 

Christianity  dawned  in  the  East  and  was 
introduced  into  Spain,  some  say  by  St.  James 
in  the  north,  others  by  St.  Peter  or  St.  Paul 
in  the  south. 

The  result  was  astonishing:  what  Roman 
swords,  laws,  and  highroads  had  been  unable 
to  accomplish  (a9  regards  the  organization 
of  the  savage  tribes)  Christianity  brought 

19 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

about  in  a  comparatively  short  lapse  of 
time. 

The  reason  is  twofold.  In  the  first  place, 
the  new  form  of  religion  taught  that  all  men 
were  equal;  consequently  it  was  more  to  the 
taste  of  the  individualistic  Spaniard  than  the 
state  doctrines  of  the  Roman  Empire. 

Secondly,  it  permitted  him  to  worship  his 
deity  in  as  many  forms  (saints)  as  there  were 
days  in  the  year;  consequently  each  village 
or  town  could  boast  of  its  own  saint,  prophet, 
or  martyr,  who,  in  the  minds  of  the  citizens, 
was  greater  than  all  other  saints,  and  really 
the  god  of  their  fervent  adoration. 

Hence  Christianity  was  able  to  introduce 
into  the  Roman  province  of  Hispania  a 
social  organization  which  was  to  exert  a  last¬ 
ing  influence  on  the  country  and  to  acquire 
an  unheard-of  degree  of  wealth  and  power. 

When  the  temporal  domination  of  Rome 
in  Spain  had  dwindled  away  to  nothing, 
other  foreigners,  the  Visigoths,  usurped  the 
fictitious  rule.  Their  state  was  civil  in  name, 
military  in  organization,  and  ecclesiastical  in 
reality. 

They  formed  no  nation,  however,  though 
they  preserved  the  broken  fragments  of  the 
West  Roman  Empire.  The  same  spirit  of 

20 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

individualism  characterized  the  tribes  or 
people,  and  they  swore  allegiance  to  their 
local  saint  (God)  and  to  the  priest  who  was 
his  representative  on  earth  (Church)  — but 
to  no  one  else. 

Consequently  it  can  be  assumed  that  the 
Spanish  nation  had  not  as  yet  been  born;  the 
controlling  power  had  passed  from  the  hands 
of  one  foreigner  to  those  of  another:  only 
one  institution  —  the  Church  — could  claim 
to  possess  a  national  character;  around  it, 
or  upon  its  foundations,  the  nation  was  to 
be  built  up,  stone  by  stone,  and  turret  by 
turret. 

The  third  foreigner  appeared  on  the  scene. 
He  was  doubtless  the  most  important  factor 
in  the  formation  of  the  Spanish  nation. 

It  is  probable  that  the  Church  called  him 
over  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar  as  an  aid  against 
Rodrigo,  the  last  Visigothic  king,  who  lost 
his  throne  and  his  life  because  too  deeply  in 
love  with  his  beautiful  Tolesian  mistress. 

Legends  explain  the  Moor’s  landing  dif¬ 
ferently.  Sohail,  as  powerfully  narrated  by 
Mr.  Cunninghame-Graham,  is  one  of  these 
legends,  beautifully  fatalistic  and  exception¬ 
ally  interesting.  According  to  it,  the  destiny 

21 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

of  the  Moors  is  ruled  by  a  star  named  Sohail. 
Whither  it  goes  they  must  follow  it. 

In  the  eighth  century  it  happened  that 
Sohail,  in  her  irregular  course  across  the 
heavens,  was  to  be  seen,  a  brilliant  star,  from 
Gibraltar.  Obeying  the  stellar  call,  Tarik 
landed  in  Spain  and  moved  northwards  at  the 
head  of  his  irresistible,  fanatic  hordes.  The 
star  continued  its  northerly  movement,  visible 
one  fine  night  from  the  Arab  tents  pitched 
on  the  plains  between  Poitiers  and  Tours. 
The  next  night,  however,  it  was  no  longer 
visible,  and  Charles  Martel  drove  the  in¬ 
vading  Moors  back  to  the  south. 

Centuries  went  by  and  Sohail  appeared 
ever  lower  down  on  the  southern  horizon. 
One  night  it  was  only  visible  from  Granada, 
and  then  Spain  saw  it  no  more.  That  same 
day  —  ’twas  in  the  fifteenth  century  — 
Boabdil  el  Chico  surrendered  the  keys  of 
Granada,  and  the  Arabs  fled,  obeying  the  re¬ 
treating  star’s  call. 

To-day  they  are  waiting  in  the  north  of 
Africa  for  Sohail  to  move  once  again  to  the 
north:  when  she  does  so,  they  will  rise  again 
as  a  single  man,  and  regain  their  passionately 
loved  Alhambra,  their  beautiful  kingdom  of 
Andalusia. 


22 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northei'n  Spain 

Tradition  is  fond  of  showing  us  a  nucleus 
of  fervent  Christian  patriots  obliged  by  the 
invading  Arab  hordes  to  retire  to  the  north¬ 
western  corner  of  the  Iberian  peninsula. 
Here  they  made  a  stand,  a  last  glorious  stand, 
and,  gradually  increasing  in  strength,  they 
were  at  last  able  to  drive  back  the  invader 
inch  by  inch  until  he  fled  across  the  straits 
to  trouble  Iberia  no  more. 

Nothing  is,  however,  less  true.  The  noble¬ 
men  and  monarchs  of  Galicia,  Leon,  and 
Oviedo  —  later  of  Castile,  Navarra,  and  Ara¬ 
gon  - —  were  so  many  petty  lords  who,  fight¬ 
ing  continually  among  themselves,  ruled  over 
fragments  of  the  defeated  Visigothic  kingdom. 
At  times  they  called  in  the  Arab  enemy  — 
to  whom  in  the  early  centuries  they  paid  a 
yearly  tribute  —  to  help  them  against  the 
encroachments  of  their  brother  Christians. 
Consequently  they  lacked  that  spirit  of 
patriotism  and  of  national  ambition  which 
might  have  justified  their  claims  to  be  called 
monarchs  or  rulers  of  Spain. 

The  Church  was  no  better.  Its  bishops 
were  independent  princes  who  ruled  in  their 
dioceses  like  sovereigns  in  their  palaces; 
they  recognized  no  supreme  master,  not  even 


n 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

the  Pope,  whose  advice  was  ignored,  and 
whose  orders  were  disobeyed. 

It  was  not  until  the  twelfth  or  thirteenth 
century  that  the  Christian  incursions  into 
Moorish  territory  took  the  form  of  patriotic 
crusades,  in  which  fervent  Christians  burnt 
with  the  holy  desire  of  weeding  out  of  the 
peninsula  the  Saracen  infidel. 

This  holy  crusade  was  due  to  the  coming 
from  France  and  Italy  of  the  Cluny  monks. 
Foreigners,  —  like  the  Romans,  the  Church, 
the  Visigoths,  and  the  Moors,  —  they  created 
a  situation  which  facilitated  the  union  of  the 
different  monarchs,  prelates,  and  noblemen, 
by  showing  them  a  common  cause  to  fight  for. 
Besides,  anxious  to  establish  the  supreme 
power  of  the  Pope  in  a  land  where  his  au¬ 
thority  was  a  dead  letter,  they  crossed  the 
Pyrenees  and  broke  the  absolute  power  of  the 
arrogant  prelates. 

The  result  was  obvious:  the  Church  be¬ 
came  uniform  throughout  the  country,  and 
its  influence  waxed  to  the  detriment  of  that 
of  the  noblemen.  Once  again  the  kings 
learnt  to  rely  upon  the  former,  thus  putting 
an  end  to  the  power  of  the  latter.  Once  more 
the  Church  grew  to  be  an  ecclesiastical  or- 


24 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

ganization  in  which  the  role  of  the  prelates 
became  more  important  as  time  went  on. 

In  short,  if  the  coming  of  the  Moors  re¬ 
tarded  for  nearly  six  hundred  years  the  birth 
of  the  Spanish  nation,  this  birth  was  directly 
brought  about  by  the  political  ability  of  the 
Cluny  monks;  the  Moors,  on  the  other  hand, 
exerted  a  direct  and  lasting  influence  on  the 
shaping  and  moulding  of  the  future  nation. 

Christian  Spain,  at  the  time  of  the  death 
of  the  pious  warrior-king  San  Fernando,  was 
roughly  divided  into  an  eastern  and  a  western 
half,  into  the  kingdom  of  Castile  (and  Leon) 
and  that  of  Aragon.  The  fusion  of  these  two 
halves  by  the  marriage  of  Ferdinand  and 
Isabel,  two  hundred  years  later,  marks  the 
date  of  the  birth  of  Spain  as  a  nation. 

It  is  true,  nevertheless,  that  the  people  had 
little  or  no  voice  in  the  arrangement  of  mat¬ 
ters.  They  were  indifferent  to  what  their 
crowned  rulers  were  doing,  and  ignorant  of 
the  growing  power,  wealth,  and  learning  of 
the  prelates.  All  they  asked  for  was  individ¬ 
ual  liberty  and  permission  to  pray  to  the  God 
of  their  choice.  Neither  had  as  yet  the 
spirit  of  patriotism  burned  in  their  breasts, 
and  they  were  utterly  insensible  to  any  and  all 


25 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

politics  which  concerned  the  peninsula  as  a 
unity. 

But  the  Church-state  had  successfully  evo- 
lutionized,  and  Catholic  kings  sat  on  the  only 
available  throne.  The  last  Moor  had  been 
driven  from  the  peninsula,  the  Jews  had  been 
expelled  from  the  Catholic  kingdom,  and  the 
Inquisition  —  now  that  the  Church  could  no 
longer  direct  its  energy  against  the  infidel — • 
strengthened  the  Pope’s  hold  on  the  land  and 
increased  the  importance  and  magnificence 
of  the  prelates  themselves. 

A  word  as  to  heresy  (the  Reformation) 
and  the  Inquisition.  The  latter  was  not  di¬ 
rected  against  the  former,  for  it  would  have 
been  impossible  for  the  people  to  accept  the 
reformed  faith  in  the  fifteenth  century.  For 
the  Spaniard  the  charm  of  the  Christian  re¬ 
ligion  was  that  it  placed  him  on  an  equal  foot¬ 
ing  with  all  men;  hence,  it  flattered  his  love 
of  personal  liberty  and  his  self-consciousness 
or  pride.  The  charm  of  Catholicism  was 
that  it  enabled  him  to  adore  a  local  deity  in 
the  shape  of  a  martyred  saint;  thus,  it  flat¬ 
tered  his  vanity  as  a  clansman,  and  his 
spirit  of  individualism. 

It  was  not  so  much  the  God  of  Christian* 
26 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

ity  he  worshipped  as  Our  Lady  of  the  Pillar, 
Our  Lady  of  Sorrows,  of  the  Camino,  etc., 
and  he  obeyed  less  readily  the  archbishop 
than  the  custodian  priest  of  his  particular 
saint,  of  whom  he  declared  “  that  he  could 
humiliate  all  other  saints.” 

Consequently  Protestantism,  which  tended 
to  kill  this  local  worship  by  upholding  that 
of  a  collective  deity,  could  never  have  taken 
a  serious  hold  of  the  country,  and  it  is  doubt¬ 
ful  if  it  ever  will. 

On  the  other  hand  —  as  previously  re¬ 
marked —  the  Spanish  Inquisition  helped  to 
centralize  the  Church’s  power  and  obliged 
the  people  to  accept  its  decisions  as  final. 
The  effect  of  Torquemada’s  policy  is  still  to 
be  felt  in  Spain  —  could  it  be  otherwise? 

Had  successive  events  in  this  stage  of 
Spain’s  history  followed  a  normal  course,  and 
had  the  education  of  the  people  been  fostered 
by  the  state  instead  of  being  cursed  by  the 
Church,  it  is  more  than  probable  that  the 
map  of  Europe  would  have  been  different  to¬ 
day  from  what  it  is.  For  the  Spanish  people 
would  have  learnt  to  think  as  patriots,  as  a 
nation;  they  would  have  developed  their 
country’s  rich  soil  and  thickly  populated  the 

27 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

vast  vegas;  they  would  have  taken  the  offen¬ 
sive  against  foreign  nations,  and  would  have 
chased  and  battled  the  Moor  beyond  the 
Straits  of  Gibraltar. 

It  was  not  to  be,  however.  An  abnormal 
event  was  to  take  place  —  and  did  take  place 
— which  repeated  in  fair  Iberia  the  retro¬ 
grade  movement  initiated  by  the  Arab  inva¬ 
sion  750  years  earlier. 

A  foreigner  was  again  the  cause  of  thi9 
new  phenomenon,  a  harebrained  Genoese 
navigator  whom  the  world  calls  a  genius  be¬ 
cause  he  was  successful,  but  who  was  an  evil 
genius  for  the  new-born  Spanish  nation,  one 
who  was  to  load  his  adopted  country  with 
unparalleled  fame  and  glory  before  causing 
her  rapid  and  clashing  downfall. 

Christopher  Columbus  came  to  Spain  from 
the  east;  he  sailed  westwards  from  Spain  and 
discovered  —  for  Spain!  —  two  vast  conti¬ 
nents. 

The  importance  of  this  event  for  Spain  is 
apt  to  be  overlooked  by  those  who  are 
blinded  by  the  unexpected  realization  of 
Columbus’s  daring  dreams.  It  was  as  though 
a  volcanic  eruption  had  taken  place  in  a 
virgin  soil,  tossing  earth  and  grass,  layers  and 
strata  of  stone,  hither  and  thither  in  utter 

28 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

confusion,  impeding  the  further  growth  of 
young  plantlets  and  forbidding  the  building 
up  of  a  solid  national  edifice. 

Instead  of  devoting  their  energies  to  the 
interior  organization  of  the  country,  Span¬ 
iards  turned  their  eyes  to  the  New  World. 
In  exchange  for  the  gold  and  precious  stones 
which  poured  into  the  land,  they  gave  that 
which  left  the  country  poor  and  weak  in¬ 
deed:  their  blood  and  their  lives.  The 
bravest  and  most  intrepid  leaders  crossed  the 
seas  with  their  followers,  and  behind  them 
sailed  thousands  upon  thousands  of  hardy 
adventurers  and  soldiers. 

But  the  Spaniards  could  not  colonize. 
They  lacked  those  qualities  of  collectivity 
which  characterized  Rome  and  England. 
The  individualistic  spirit  of  the  people 
caused  them  to  go  and  to  come  as  they  chose 
without  possessing  any  ambition  of  establish¬ 
ing  in  the  newly  acquired  territories  a 
home  and  a  family;  neither  did  the  women 
folk  emigrate  —  and  hence  the  failure  of 
Spain  as  a  colonizing  power. 

On  the  other  hand,  those  who  had  sailed 
the  seas  to  the  Spanish  main,  and  had 
hoarded  up  a  significant  treasure,  invariably 
returned,  not  to  Spain  exactly,  but  to  their 

29 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

native  town  or  village.  Upon  arriving 
home,  their  first  act  was  to  bequeath  a  con¬ 
siderable  sum  to  the  Church,  so  as  to  ease 
their  conscience  and  to  assure  themselves 
homage,  respect,  and  unrestrained  liberty. 

The  effects  produced  by  this  phenomenon 
of  individualism  were  manifold.  They 
exist  even  to-day,  so  lasting  were  they. 

A  new  nobility  was  created  —  wealthy, 
powerful,  and  generally  arrogant  and  un¬ 
scrupulous,  which  replaced  the  feudal  aris¬ 
tocracy  of  the  middle  ages. 

Secondly,  oligarchy  —  or  better  still,  ca- 
ciquismo,  an  individualistic  form  of  oligar¬ 
chy —  sprung  up  into  existence,  and  rapidly 
became  the  bane  of  modern  Spain;  that  is, 
ever  since  the  Bourbon  dynasty  ruled  the 
country’s  fate.  As  can  easily  be  understood, 
this  caciquismo  can  only  flourish  there  where 
individualism  is  the  leading  characteristic 
of  the  people. 

Thirdly,  all  hopes  of  the  country’s  pos¬ 
sessing  a  well-to-do  middle  class  —  stamina 
of  a  wealthy  nation,  and  without  which  no 
people  can  attain  a  national  standard  of 
wealth  —  vanished  completely  away. 

Lastly  the  Church,  which  had  become 
wealthy  beyond  the  dreams  of  the  Cluny 

30 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

monks,  retained  its  iron  grip  on  the  country, 
and  retarded  the  liberal  education  of  the 
masses.  To  repay  the  fidelity  of  servile 
Catholics,  it  canonized  legions  of  local 
prophets  and  martyrs,  and  organized  hun¬ 
dreds  of  gay  annual  fiestas  to  honour  their 
memory.  The  ignorant  people,  flattered  at 
the  tribute  of  admiration  paid  to  their 
deities,  looked  no  further  ahead  into  the 
growing  chaos  of  misery  and  poverty,  and 
were  happy. 

The  crash  came  —  could  it  be  otherwise? 
Beyond  the  seas  an  immense  territory,  hun¬ 
dreds  of  times  larger  than  the  natal  solar, 
or  mother  country,  stretched  from  the 
Atlantic  to  the  Pacific;  at  home,  a  still¬ 
born  nation  lay  in  an  arid  meadow 
beside  a  solemn  church,  a  frivolous,  selfish 
throne,  and  a  mute  and  gloomy  brick-built 
convent. 

The  Spanish  Armada  sailed  to  England 
never  to  return,  and  Philip  II.  built  the 
Escorial,  a  melancholy  pantheon  for  the 
kings  of  the  Iberian  peninsula. 

One  by  one  the  colonies  dropped  off, 
fragments  of  an  illusory  empire,  and  at 
last  the  mother  country  stood  once  more 
stark  naked  as  in  the  days  before  Columbus 

3i 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

left  Palos  harbour.  But  the  mother’s  face 
was  no  longer  young  and  fresh  like  an 
infant’s:  wrinkles  of  age  and  of  suffering 
creased  the  brow  and  the  chin,  for  not  in  vain 
was  she,  during  centuries,  the  toy  of  un¬ 
merciful  fate. 

Such  is,  in  gigantic  strides,  the  history  of 
Spain. 

The  volcanic  eruption  in  the  fifteenth  cen¬ 
tury  has  left,  it  is  true,  indelible  traces 
in  the  country’s  soil.  Nevertheless,  on  the 
very  day  when  the  treaty  of  Paris  was 
signed  and  the  last  of  the  Spanish  colonies 
de  Ultramar  were  lost  for  ever,  that  day  a 
Spanish  nation  was  born  again  on  the  dis¬ 
turbed  foundations  of  the  old. 

There  is  no  denying  it:  when  Ferdinand 
and  Isabel  united  their  kingdoms  a  nation 
was  bom;  it  fell  to  pieces  (though  appar¬ 
ently  not  until  a  later  date)  when  Columbus 
landed  in  America. 

Anarchy,  misrule,  and  oppression,  igno¬ 
rance  and  poverty,  now  frivolity  and  now 
austerity  at  court,  fill  the  succeeding  cen¬ 
turies  until  the  coronation  of  Alfonso  XII. 
During  all  those  years,  but  once  did  Spain 
—  no  longer  a  nation  —  shine  forth  in  his- 

32 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

tory  with  an  even  greater  brilliancy  than 
when  she  claimed  to  be  mistress  of  the 
world.  But,  on  this  occasion,  when  she  op¬ 
posed,  in  brave  but  disbanded  groups,  the 
invasion  of  the  French  legions,  she  gave 
another  proof  of  the  individualistic  in¬ 
stincts  of  the  race,  as  opposed  to  all  social 
and  compact  organization  of  the  masses. 

The  Carlist  wars  need  but  a  passing  re¬ 
mark.  They  were  not  national;  they  were 
caused  by  the  ambitions  of  rulers  and  noble¬ 
men,  and  fought  out  by  the  inhabitants  of 
Navarra  and  the  Basque  Provinces  who  up¬ 
held  their  fueros,  by  paid  soldiery,  and  by 
aldeanos  whose  houses  and  families  were 
threatened. 

New  Spain  was  born  a  few  years  ago,  but 
so  far  she  has  given  no  proof  of  vitality.  As 
it  is,  she  is  cumbered  by  traditions  and 
harassed  by  memories.  She  must  fight  a 
sharp  battle  with  existing  evil  institutions 
handed  down  to  her  as  a  questionable  legacy 
from  the  past. 

If  she  emerge  victorious  from  the  struggle, 
universal  history  will  hear  her  name  again, 
for  the  country  is  not  gastado  or  degenerate, 
as  many  would  have  us  believe. 

33 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


If  she  fail  to  throw  overboard  the  worth¬ 
less  and  superfluous  ballast,  it  is  possible 
that  the  ship  of  state  will  founder  —  and 
then,  who  knows? 

In  the  meantime,  let  us  not  misjudge 
the  Spaniard  nor  throw  stones  at  his  broken 
glass  mansion.  To  help  us  in  this,  let  us 
remember  that  unexpected  vicissitudes,  en¬ 
tirely  foreign  to  his  country,  were  the  cause 
of  his  illusory  grandeur  in  the  sixteenth- 
century.  Besides,  no  more  ardent  a  lover 
of  individual  (not  social)  freedom  than  the 
Spaniard  breathes  in  this  wide  world  of 
ours  —  excepting  it  be  the  Moor. 

Under  the  circumstances  he  is  to  be  ad¬ 
mired —  even  pitied. 


34 


Ill 


ARCHITECTURAL  ARABESQUES 
Preliminaries 

The  different  periods  mentioned  in  the 
preceding  chapter  are  characterized  by  a 
corresponding  art-movement. 

The  germs  of  these  movements  came  in¬ 
variably  from  abroad.  In  Spain  they 
lingered,  were  localized  and  grew  up,  a 
species  of  hybrid  plants  in  which  the  foreign 
element  was  still  visible,  though  it  had 
undergone  a  series  of  changes,  due  either  to 
the  addition  of  other  elements,  to  the  in¬ 
ventive  genius  of  the  artist-architect,  or  else 
peculiar  to  the  locality  in  which  the  build¬ 
ing  was  erected. 

Other  conclusive  remarks  arrived  at  in  the 
foregoing  study  help  to  explain  the  evolu¬ 
tion  of  church  architecture.  Five  were  the 
conclusions:  (i)  The  power  and  wealth 
of  the  Church,  (2)  the  influence  exerted 

35 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

by  foreigners  on  the  country’s  fate,  (3)  the 
individualistic  spirit  of  the  clanspeople, 
(4)  the  short  duration  of  a  Spanish 
nation,  nipped  in  the  bud  before  it  could 
bloom,  and  (5)  the  formation  of  an  oli¬ 
garchy  ( caciquismo )  which  hindered  the 
establishment  of  an  educated  bourgeoisie. 

The  first  of  the  above  conclusive  observa¬ 
tions  needs  no  further  remarks,  considering 
that  we  are  studying  church  architecture. 
It  suffices  to  indicate  the  great  number  of 
cathedrals,  churches,  hermitages,  monas¬ 
teries,  convents,  cloisters,  and  episcopal 
palaces  to  be  convinced  of  the  Church’s 
influence  on  the  country  and  on  the  purses 
of  the  inhabitants. 

The  Spaniard,  psychologically  speaking, 
is  no  artist;  it  is  doubtful  if  illiterate  and 
uneducated  people  are,  and  the  average  in¬ 
habitant  of  Spain  forms  no  exception  to  this 
rule.  His  artistic  talents  are  exclusively 
limited  to  music,  for  which  he  has  an  ex¬ 
cessively  fine  ear.  But  beauty  in  the  plastic 
arts  and.  architecture  leave  him  cold  and 
indifferent;  he  is  influenced  by  mass,  weight, 
and  quantity  rather  than  by  elegance  or 
lightness,  and  consequently  it  is  the  same 
to  him  whether  a  cathedral  be  Gothic  or 

36 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Romanesque,  as  long  as  it  be  dedicated  to 
the  deity  of  his  choice. 

The  difference  between  Italian  and 
Iberian  is  therefore  very  marked.  Even  the 
landscapes  in  each  country  prove  it  beyond 
a  doubt.  In  Italy  they  are  composed  of 
soft  rolling  lines;  the  colours  are  varied, — 
green,  red,  and  blue;  the  soil  is  damp  and 
fruitful.  In  Spain,  on  the  contrary,  every¬ 
thing  is  dry,  arid,  and  savage;  blue  is  the 
sky,  red  the  brick  houses,  and  grayish 
golden  the  soil;  the  inhabitants  are  as  sav¬ 
age  as  the  country,  and  the  proverbial  “  ma 
e  piu  bello  ”  of  the  Italian  does  not  bother 
the  former  in  the  slightest. 

All  of  which  goes  to  explain  the  Span¬ 
iard’s  insensibility  to  the  plastic  arts,  as  well 
as  (for  instance)  the  universal  use  of  huge 
retablos  or  altar-pieces,  in  which  size  and 
bright  colours  are  all  that  is  required  and 
the  greater  the  size,  the  more  clashing  the 
colours,  the  better. 

Neither  is  it  surprising  that  the  Spaniard 
created  no  architectural  school  of  his  own. 
All  he  possesses  is  borrowed  from  abroad. 
His  love  of  Byzantine  grotesqueness  and  of 
Moorish  geometrical  arabesques  is  inherited, 
the  one  from  the  Visigoths,  and  the  other 

3  7 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

directly  from  the  Moors.  The  remaining 
styles  are  northern  and  Italian,  and  were 
introduced  into  the  country  by  such  for¬ 
eigners —  monks  and  artists  —  as  crowded 
to  Spain  in  search  of  Spanish  gold. 

These  artists  (it  is  true  that  some,  and 
perhaps  the  best  of  them,  were  Spaniards) 
did  not  work  for  the  people,  for  there  was 
no  bourgeoisie.  They  worked  for  the 
wealthy  prelates,  for  the  aristocracy,  and  for 
the  caciques.  These  latter  had  sumptuous 
chapels  decorated,  dedicated  an  altar  to  such 
and  such  a  deity,  and  erected  a  magnificent 
sepulchre  or  series  of  sepulchres  for  them¬ 
selves  and  their  families. 

This  peculiar  phenomenon  explains  the 
wealth  of  Spanish  churches  in  lateral 
chapels.  Not  a  cathedral  but  has  about 
twenty  of  them;  not  a  church  but  possesses 
its  half  a  dozen.  Moreover,  some  of  the  very 
finest  examples  of  sepulchral  art  are  not  to 
be  found  in  cathedrals,  but  in  out-of-the- 
way  village  churches,  where  some  cacique 
or  other  laid  his  bones  to  rest  and  had  his 
effigy  carved  on  a  gorgeous  marble  tomb. 

These  chapels  are  built  in  all  possible 
styles  and  in  all  degrees  of  splendour  and 
magnificence,  according  to  the  generosity 

38 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

of  the  donor.  Here  they  bulge  out,  deform¬ 
ing  the  regular  plan  of  the  church,  or  else 
they  take  up  an  important  part  of  the  interior 
of  the  building.  There  they  are  Renais¬ 
sance  jewels  in  a  Gothic  temple,  or  else 
ogival  marvels  in  a  Romanesque  build¬ 
ing.  They  are,  as  it  were,  small  churches 
—  or  important  annexes  like  that  of  the 
Condestable  in  Burgos,  possessing  a  dome 
of  its  own  —  absolutely  independent  of  the 
cathedral  itself,  rich  in  decorative  details, 
luxurious  in  the  use  of  polished  stone  and 
metal,  of  agate  and  golden  accessories,  of 
gilded  friezes,  low  reliefs,  and  painted  re- 
tablos.  They  constitute  one  of  the  most 
characteristic  features  of  Spanish  religious 
architecture  and  art  in  general,  and  it  is 
above  all  due  to  them  that  Iberia’s  cathe¬ 
drals  are  museums  rather  than  solemn  places 
of  worship. 

But  the  Spanish  people  did  not  erect 
them;  they  were  commanded  by  vain  and 
death  -  fearing  caciques,  and  erected  by 
artists  —  generally  foreigners,  though  often 
natives.  The  people  did  not  care  nor  take 
any  interest  in  the  matter;  so  long  as  the 
village  saint  was  not  insulted,  nor  their 
individual  liberty  ( fuero )  infringed  upon, 

39 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


the  world,  its  artists  and  caciques,  could  do 
as  it  liked. 

This  insensibility  helped  to  hinder  the 
formation  of  a  national  style.  Besides,  as 
the  duration  of  the  Spanish  nation  was  so 
exceedingly  short,  there  was  no  time  at  hand 
to  develop  a  national  art  school.  In  certain 
localities,  as  in  Galicia,  a  prevailing  type 
or  style  was  in  common  use,  and  was  slowly 
evolving  into  something  strictly  local  and 
excellent.  These  types,  together  with  Moor¬ 
ish  art,  and  above  all  Mudejar  work,  might 
have  evolved  still  further  and  produced 
a  national  style.  But  the  nation  fell  to 
pieces  like  a  dried-up  barrel  whose  hoops 
are  broken,  and  the  nation’s  style  was  never 
formed. 

Besides,  contemporary  with  the  birth  of 
the  nation  was  the  advent  of  the  Renaissance 
movement.  This  was  the  coup  de  grace,  the 
final  blow  to  any  germs  of  a  Spanish  style, 
of  a  style  composed  of  Christian  and  Islam 
principles  and  ideals: 

**  Es  war  zu  schon  gewesen, 

Es  hatt’  nicht  sollen  sein  !  ” 

Under  the  circumstances,  the  art  student 
in  Spain,  however  enthusiastic  or  one-sided 

40 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

he  may  be,  cannot  claim  to  discover  a 
national  school.  He  must  necessarily  limit 
his  studies  to  the  analysis  of  the  foreign 
art  waves  which  inundated  the  land;  he 
must  observe  how  they  became  localized 
and  were  modified,  how  they  were  united 
both  wisely  and  ridiculously,  and  he  must 
point  out  the  reasons  or  causes  of  these 
medleys  and  transformations.  There  his  task 
ends. 

One  peculiarity  will  strike  him:  the 
peninsula  possesses  no  pure  Gothic,  Roman¬ 
esque,  or  Renaissance  building.  The  same 
might  almost  be  stated  as  regards  Moorish 
art.  The  capitals  of  the  pillars  in  the 
mezquita  of  Cordoba  are  Latin-Romanesque, 
torn  from  a  previous  building  by  the  in¬ 
vading  Arab  to  adorn  his  own  temple.  The 
Alhambra,  likewise,  shows  animal  arabesques 
which  are  Byzantine  and  not  Moorish. 
Nevertheless,  Arab  art  is,  on  the  whole, 
purer  in  style  than  Christian  art. 

This  transformation  of  foreign  styles 
proves:  (i)  That  though  the  Spanish 

artist  lacked  creative  genius,  he  was  no  base 
imitator,  but  sought  to  combine;  he  sought 
to  give  the  temple  he  had  to  construct  that 
heavy,  massive,  strong,  and  sombre  aspect 

4i 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spam 

so  well  in  harmony  with  the  religious  and 
warlike  spirit  of  the  different  clanspeople; 
and  (2)  that  the  same  artist  failed  com¬ 
pletely  to  understand  the  ideal  of  soaring 
ogival,  of  simple  Renaissance,  or  of  pure 
Romanesque  (this  latter  he  understood 
better  than  either  of  the  others).  For  him, 
they  —  as  well  as  Islam  art  —  were  but 
elements  to  be  made  use  of.  Apart  from 
their  constructive  use,  they  were  superfluous, 
and  the  artist-architect  was  blind  to  their 
ethical  object  or  aesthetical  value.  With 
their  aid  he  built  architectural  wonders, 
but  hybrid  marvels,  complex,  grand,  luxuri¬ 
ous,  and  magnificent. 

Be  it  plainly  understood,  nevertheless, 
that  in  the  above  paragraphs  no  contempt 
for  Spanish  cathedrals  is  either  felt  or  im¬ 
plied.  Facts  are  stated,  but  no  personal 
opinion  is  emitted,  as  to  which  is  better,  a 
pure  Gothic  or  a  complicated  Spanish  Gothic. 
In  art  there  is  really  no  better;  besides, 
comparisons  are  odious  and  here  they  are 
utterly  superfluous. 

Cathedral  Churches 

Before  accompanying  the  art  student  in 
his  task  of  determining  the  different  foreign 

42 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

styles,  we  will  do  well  to  examine  certain 
general  characteristics  common  to  all  Span¬ 
ish  cathedrals.  We  will  then  be  able  to 
understand  with  greater  ease  the  causes  of 
the  changes  introduced  into  pure  styles. 

The  exterior  aspect  of  all  cathedrals  is 
severe  and  massive,  even  naked  and  solemn. 
Neither  windows  nor  flying  buttresses  are 
used  in  such  profusion  as  in  French  cathe¬ 
drals,  and  the  height  of  the  aisles  is  greater. 
The  object  is  doubtless  to  impart  an  idea 
of  strength  to  the  exterior  walls  by  raising 
them  in  a  compact  mass.  An  even  greater 
effect  is  obtained  by  square,  heavy  towers 
instead  of  elegant  spires.  (Compare,  how¬ 
ever,  chapters  on  Leon,  Oviedo,  Burgos,  etc.) 
The  use  of  domes  ( cimborios ,  lanterns, 
and  cupolas)  is  also  frequent,  most  of  them 
being  decidedly  Oriental  in  appearance. 
The  apse  is  prominent  and  generally  five¬ 
sided,  warlike  in  its  severe  outline.  Stone 
is  invariably  used  as  the  principal  con¬ 
structive  element,  —  granite,  berroquena  (a 
soft  white  stone  turning  deep  gray  with 
age  and  exposure),  and  sillar  or  silleria 
(a  red  sandstone  cut  into  similar  slabs  of 
the  size  and  aspect  of  brick).  Where  red 
sandstone  is  used,  the  weaker  parts  of  the 

43 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

buildings  are  very  often  constructed  in  brick, 
and  it  is  these  last-named  cathedrals  that  are 
most  Oriental  in  appearance,  especially  when 
the  brick  surface  is  carved  into  Mudejar 
reliefs. 

Taken  all  in  all,  the  whole  building  often 
resembles  a  castle  or  fortress  rather  than  a 
temple,  in  harmony  with  the  austere,  arid 
landscape,  and  the  fierce,  passionate,  and 
idolatrous  character  of  the  clanspeople  or 
inhabitants  of  the  different  regions. 

The  principal  entrance  is  usually  small 
in  comparison  to  the  height  and  great  mass 
of  the  building.  The  pointed  arch  —  or 
series  of  arches  —  which  crowns  the  portal, 
is  timid  in  its  structure,  or,  in  other  words, 
is  but  slightly  pointed  or  not  at  all. 

The  interior  aspect  of  the  church  is  totally 
different.  As  bare  and  naked  as  was  the 
outside,  so  luxurious  and  magnificent  is  the 
inside.  Involuntarily  mediaeval  Spanish 
palaces  come  to  our  mind:  their  gloomy 
appearance  from  the  outside,  and  the  gay 
patio  or  courtyard  behind  the  heavy,  unin¬ 
viting  panels  of  the  doors.  The  Moors  even 
to  this  day  employ  this  system  of  architec¬ 
ture;  its  origin,  even  in  the  case  of  Christian 
churches,  is  Oriental. 


44 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


Leaving  aside  all  architectural  considera¬ 
tions,  which  will  be  referred  to  in  the  chap¬ 
ters  dedicated  to  the  description  of  the  vari¬ 
ous  cathedrals,  let  us  examine  the  general 
disposition  of  some  of  the  most  interesting 
parts  of  the  Spanish  church. 

The  aisles  are,  as  a  rule,  high  and  dark, 
buried  in  perpetual  shadow.  The  lightest 
and  airiest  part  of  the  building  is  beneath 
the  croisee  (intersection  of  nave  and  tran¬ 
sept)  ,  which  is  often  crowned  by  a  handsome 
cimborio. 

The  nave  is  the  most  important  member 
of  the  church,  and  the  most  impressive  view 
is  obtained  by  the  visitor  standing  beneath 
the  croisee. 

To  the  east  of  him,  the  nave  terminates 
in  a  semicircular  chapel,  the  farther  end 
of  which  boasts  of  an  immense  retablo ;  to 
the  west,  the  choir,  with  its  stalls  and  or¬ 
gans,  interrupts  likewise  the  continuity  of 
the  nave.  Both  choir  and  altar  are  rich  in 
decorative  details. 

Behind  the  high  altar  runs  the  ambulatory, 
joining  the  aisles  and  separating  the  former 
from  the  apse  and  its  chapels.  The  rear 
wall  of  the  high  altar  (in  the  ambulatory) 
is  called  the  trasaltar,  where  a  small  altar 

45 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

is  generally  situated  in  a  recess  and  dedi¬ 
cated  to  the  patron  saint,  that  is,  if  the  cathe¬ 
dral  itself  be  dedicated  to  the  Virgin,  as 
generally  happens. 

Sometimes  an  oval  window  pierces  the 
wall  of  the  trasa/tar  and  lets  the  light  from 
the  apsidal  windows  enter  the  high  altar; 
this  arrangement  is  called  a  transparente. 

The  choir,  as  wide  as  the  nave  and  often 
as  high,  is  rectangular;  an  altar-table  gen¬ 
erally  stands  in  the  western  extremity, 
which  is  closed  off  by  a  wall.  The  rear  of 
this  wall  (facing  the  western  entrance  to 
the  temple)  is  called  the  trnscoro,  and  con¬ 
tains  the  altar  or  a  chapel;  the  lateral  walls 
are  also  pierced  by  low  rooms  or  niches 
which  serve  either  as  chapels  or  as  altar- 
frames. 

The  placing  of  the  choir  in  the  very  centre 
of  the  church,  its  width  and  height,  and 
its  enclosure  on  the  western  end  by  a  wall, 
render  impossible  a  view  of  the  whole 
building  such  as  occurs  in  Northern  cathe¬ 
drals,  and  upon  which  the  impression  of 
architectural  grandeur  and  majesty  largely 
depends.  It  was  as  though  Spanish  archi¬ 
tects  were  utterly  foreign  to  the  latter  im¬ 
pression,  or  wilfully  murdered  it  by  sub- 

46 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

stituting  another  more  to  their  taste,  namely, 
that  of  magnificence  and  sumptuousness. 
Nowhere  —  to  the  author’s  knowledge  —  is 
this  impression  more  acutely  felt  than  in 
a  Spanish  cathedral,  viewed  from  beneath 
the  croisee. 

Glittering  brilliancy,  dazzling  gold,  silver, 
or  gilt,  polished  marble,  agate,  and  jasper, 
and  a  luxuriance  of  vivid  colours  meet  the 
visitor’s  eyes  when  standing  there.  The 
effect  is  theatrical,  doubtless,  but  it  im¬ 
presses  the  humble  true  believer  as  Oriental 
splendour;  and  what,  in  other  countries, 
might  be  considered  as  grotesque  and  un¬ 
healthy  art,  must  in  Spain  be  regarded  as 
the  very  essence  of  the  country’s  worship, 
the  very  raison  d’etre  of  the  cathedral. 
Neither  can  it  be  considered  as  unhealthy: 
with  us  in  the  North,  our  religious  awe  is 
produced  by  the  solemn  majesty  of  rising 
shafts  and  long,  high,  and  narrow  aisles;  this 
fails  to  impress  the  Iberian  of  to-day;  and 
yet,  the  same  sentiment  of  religious  awe, 
of  the  terrible  unknown,  be  it  saint,  Saviour, 
Virgin,  or  God,  is  imparted  to  him  by  this 
brilliant  display  of  incalculable  wealth. 

To  produce  this  magnificence  in  choir 
and  high  altar,  decorative  and  industrial 

47 


The' Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

art  were  given  a  free  hand,  and  together 
wrought  those  wonders  of  the  fifteenth,  six¬ 
teenth,  and  seventeenth  centuries  which 
placed  Spain  in  a  prominent  position  in 
the  history  of  art.  Goldsmiths  and  silver¬ 
smiths,  masters  of  ironcraft,  sculptors  in 
stone  and  wood,  painters  and  estofadores, 
together  with  a  legion  of  other  artists  and 
artisans  of  all  classes  and  nationalities, 
worked  together  in  unison  to  create  both 
choir  and  high  altar. 

Therefore,  from  an  artistic  point  of  view, 
the  Spanish  cathedral  is  for  the  foreigner 
a  museum,  a  collection  of  art  objects,  per¬ 
taining,  most  of  them,  to  the  country’s  in¬ 
dustrial  arts,  for  which  Iberia  was  first 
among  all  nations. 

Choir  Stalls.  —  Space  cannot  allow  us 
to  classify  this  most  important  accessory  of 
Spanish  cathedrals.  Carved  in  walnut  or  oak, 
now  simple  and  severe,  now  rich  and  florid, 
this  branch  of  graphic  art  in  low  relief  con¬ 
stitutes  one  of  Spain’s  most  legitimate  glories. 
It  is  strange  that  no  illustrated  work  dedi¬ 
cated  exclusively  to  choir  stalls  should  have 
been  published  in  any  language.  The  tourist’s 
attention  must  nevertheless  be  drawn  to 

48, 


CLOISTER  STALLS  IN  A  MON¬ 
ASTIC  CHURCH  AT  LEON 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

this  part  of  religious  buildings;  it  must  not 
escape  his  observation  when  visiting  cathe¬ 
dral  and  parish  churches,  and  above  all, 
monastical  churches. 

Retablo.  —  The  above  remarks  hold  good 
here  as  well,  when  speaking  about  the  huge 
and  imposing  altar-pieces  so  universally  char¬ 
acteristic  of  Spain. 

The  eastern  wall  of  the  holy  chapel  in 
a  cathedral  is  entirely  hidden  from  top  to 
bottom  by  the  retablo,  a  painted  wooden 
structure  resembling  a  huge  honeycomb.  It 
consists  of  niches  flanked  by  gilded  columns. 
According  to  the  construction  of  these  col¬ 
umns,  now  Gothic  shafts,  now  Greek  or  com¬ 
posite,  now  simple  and  severe,  the  period  to 
which  the  retablo  belongs  is  determined. 

Generally  pyramidically  superimposed, 
these  niches,  of  the  height,  breadth,  and 
depth  of  an  average  man,  contain  life-size 
statues  of  apostle  or  saint,  painted  and 
decorated  by  the  estofadores  in  brilliant 
colours  (of  course,  as  they  are  intended  to 
be  seen  from  a  distance!),  in  which  red  and 
blue  are  predominant,  and  which  produce 
a  gorgeous  effect  rehausse  by  the  gilt  col¬ 
umns  of  the  niches.  (Compare  with  the 

49 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Oriental  taste  of  Mudejar  work  in  ceilings 
or  artesonados.) 

The  whole  retablo,  in  the  low  reliefs  which 
form  the  base,  and  in  the  statues  or  groups 
in  the  niches,  represents  graphically  the  life 
of  the  Saviour  or  the  Virgin,  of  the  patron 
saint  or  an  apostle;  some  of  them  are  of 
exquisite  execution  and  of  great  variety  and 
movement;  in  others,  greater  attention  has 
been  paid  to  the  decoration  of  the  columns 
or  shafts  by  original  floral  garlands,  etc. 
Foment,  Juni,  and  Berruguete  are  among  the 
most  noted  retablo  sculptors,  but  space  will 
not  permit  of  a  more  prolific  classification 
or  analysis. 

Gold  and  Silversmiths.  —  The  vessels 
used  on  the  altar-table,  effigies  of  saints,  pro¬ 
cessional  crosses,  etc.,  in  beaten  gold  and 
silver,  are  well  worth  examination.  So  is 
also  the  cathedral  treasure,  in  some  cases  of 
an  immense  value,  both  artistic  and  intrinsic. 
Cloths,  woven  in  coloured  silks,  gold,  and 
precious  stones,  are  beautiful  enough  to  make 
any  art  lover  envious. 

The  central  niche  of  the  retablo,  imme¬ 
diately  above  the  altar-table,  is  generally 
occupied  by  a  massive  beaten  silver  effigy, 


OJHAT  \tt  Jr.JT(rp 

■KYJY.  iiU'l)  1 


Typical  retablo 
(PALENCIA) 

■b 


a 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

the  artistic  value  of  which  is  unluckily  par¬ 
tially  concealed  beneath  a  heap  of  valuable 
cloths  and  jewels. 

But  where  the  silversmith’s  art  is  purest 
and  most  lavishly  pronounced  is  in  the 
sagrarios.  These  are,  solid  silver  carved 
pyramids' about  two  or  three  feet  high:  they 
represent  miniature  temples  or  thrones  with 
shafts  or  columns  supporting  arches,  win¬ 
dows,  pinnacles,  and  cupolas.  In  the  interior, 
an  effigy  of  the  saint,  or  the  Virgin,  etc., 
to  whom  the  cathedral  is  dedicated,  is  to 
be  seen  seated  on  a  throne. 

In  all  cases  the  workmanship  of  these 
miniature  temples  is  exquisite,  and  has 
brought  just  fame  to  Spain’s  fifteenth  and 
sixteenth  century  silversmiths. 

IRONCRAFT.  —  Last  to  be  mentioned,  but 
not  least  in  importance,  are  the  artisans  who 
worked  in  iron.  They  brought  their  trade 
up  to  the  height  of  a  fine  art  of  universal 
fame;  their  artistic  window  rejas ,  in  the 
houses  and  palaces  of  the  rich,  are  the 
wonder  of  all  art  lovers,  and  so  also  are  the 
immense  rejas  or  grilles  which  close  off  the 
high  altar  and  the  choir  from  the  transept, 
or  the  entrance  to  chapels  from  the 

5i 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

aisles.  Though  this  art  has  completely  de¬ 
generated  to-day,  nevertheless,  a  just  remark 
was  made  in  the  author’s  hearing  by  an 
Englishman,  who  said: 

“  Even  to-day,  Spaniards  are  unable  to 
make  a  bad  reja.” 

The  reader’s  and  tourist’s  attention  has  been 
called  to  the  salient  artistic  points  of  a  Span¬ 
ish  cathedral.  They  must  be  examined  one 
by  one,  and  they  will  be  admired;  the  view 
of  the  ensemble  will  puzzle  and  amaze  him, 
yet  it  will  be  wise  for  him  not  to  criticize 
harshly  the  lack  of  unity  of  style.  Frequently 
the  choir  stalls  are  ogival,  the  retablo  Re¬ 
naissance,  the  rejas  plateresque,  and  the  gen¬ 
eral  decoration  of  columns,  etc.,  of  the  most 
lavish  grotesque. 

This  in  itself  is  no  sin,  neither  artistic  nor 
ethical,  as  long  as  the  religious  awe  comes 
home  to  the  Spaniard,  for  whom  these  cathe¬ 
drals  are  intended.  Besides,  it  is  an  open 
question  whether  the  monotony  of  a  pure 
style  be  nobler  than  a  luxurious  moulding 
together  of  all  styles.  The  whole  question 
is,  do  the  different  parts  harmonize,  or  do 
they  produce  a  criard  impression. 

The  answer  in  all  cases  is  purely  per- 
52 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

sonal.  Yet,  even  if  unfavourable,  the  utility 
of  the  art  demonstration  must  be  borne  in 
mind  and  considered  as  well.  And  as  re¬ 
gards  the  Spaniard,  the  utility  does  exist  be¬ 
yond  a  doubt. 

Architectural  Styles 

Let  us  now  follow  the  art  student  in  his 
task.  He  will  determine  the  different  styles, 
and,  to  make  the  matter  clearer,  he  will 
employ  a  rhetorical  figure: 

There  is  an  island  in  the  sea.  Huge 
breakers  roar  on  the  beach  and  dash  against 
the  rocky  cliffs.  Second,  third,  and  fourth 
breakers  of  varying  strength  and  energy  race 
with  the  first,  and  are  in  their  turn  pushed 
relentlessly  on  from  behind  until  they  rip¬ 
ple  in  dying  surf  on  the  golden  sands  and 
boil  in  white  spray  in  hidden  clifts  and 
caves.  With  the  years  that  roll  along  the 
island  is  shaped  according  to  the  will  of  the 
waves. 

Spain,  figuratively  speaking,  is  that  is¬ 
land,  or  a  peninsula  off  the  southwestern 
coast  of  the  Old  World,  barred  from  France 
by  the  impassable  Pyrenees,  and  forming 
the  link  between  Africa  and  Europe:  the 

53 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

first  stepping-stone  for  the  former  in  its 
northern  march,  the  last  extremity  or  the 
rear-guard  of  the  latter. 

The  breakers  represent  the  different  art 
movements  which,  born  in  countries  where 
compact  nations  were  fighting  energetically 
for  an  existence  and  for  an  ideal,  flooded 
with  terrible  force  the  civilized  lands  of 
the  middle  ages,  and  sought  to  outdo  and 
conquer  their  rivals. 

These  breakers  were:  from  the  east, 
early  Christian  (both  Latin-Lombard  and 
Byzantine)  ;  from  the  north,  Gothic;  from 
the  south,  Arab,  or,  to  be  more  accurate, 
Moorish.  The  first  two  were  advocates  of 
one  civilization,  the  Christian  or  Occidental; 
the  latter  was  the  propagandist  of  another, - 
the  Neo-Oriental  or  Mohammedan. 

The  Renaissance  was  but  a  second  or  third 
breaker  coming  from  the  east,  which 
breathed  new  life  into  antiquated  construct¬ 
ive  and  decorative  elements  by  adapting 
them  to  a  new  religion  or  faith. 

Later  architectural  forms  were  but  the 
periodical  revival  or  combination  of  one  or 
another  of  the  already  existing  elements. 

Spain,  thanks  to  her  unique  position,  was 
the  point  where  all  these  contradictory  waves 

54 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


met  in  a  final  endeavour  to  crush  their  op¬ 
ponents.  In  Spain,  Byzantine  pillars  fought 
against  Lombard  shafts,  and  Gothic  pinnacles 
rose  haughtily  beside  the  horseshoe  arch 
and  the  arc  brise.  In  Spain  Christianity 
grappled  with  the  Islam  faith  and  sent  it 
bleeding  back  to  the  wilds  of  Africa;  in 
Spain  the  polygon,  circle,  and  square 
struggled  for  supremacy  and  lost  their  per¬ 
sonality  in  the  complex  blending  of  the  one 
with  the  other,  and  minarets,  cupolas,  and 
spires  combined  in  bizarre  fantasy  and  rich¬ 
ness  of  decoration  to  serve  the  ambitions  of 
mighty  prelates,  fanatic  kings,  and  death- 
fearing  noblemen. 

Such  is,  rhetorically  speaking,  the  history 
of  architecture  of  Spain.  Cathedrals  had 
a  cachet  of  their  own,  either  national  (in 
certain  characteristics)  or  else  local.  But 
the  elements  of  which  they  were  composed 
were  foreign.  That  is,  excepting  in  the  case 
of  Spanish-Moorish  art. 

Moorish  art!  In  the  second  volume 
(Southern  Spain),  the  author  of  these  lines 
will  dedicate  several  paragraphs  to  the  art 
of  the  Moors  in  Spain.  Suffice  to  assert  in 
the  present  chapter  the  following  statements. 

55 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


(1)  Moorish  art  in  Spain  is  peculiar  to 
the  Arabs  who  inhabited  the  peninsula  dur¬ 
ing  seven  hundred  years.  Consequently  this 
art,  born  on  Iberian  soil,  cannot  be  re¬ 
garded  as  foreign. 

(2)  Much  of  what  is  called  Moorish 
art  owes  its  existence  to  the  Christians,  to 
the  Muzarabs  and  Jews  who  inhabited  cities 
which  were  dependent  upon  or  belonged 
to  the  Moors.  In  the  same  way,  much  of 
the  Oriental  taste  of  the  Spanish  Chris¬ 
tians  was  inherited  from  the  Moors  and 
received  in  Spain  the  generic  name  of  Mu¬ 
tt  e  jar. 

(3)  The  art  of  the  Moors,  though  largely 
used  in  Spain,  especially  in  the  south,  rarely 
entered  into  cathedral  structures,  though 
often  noticeable  in  churches,  cloisters,  and 
in  decorative  motives. 

(4)  The  Moors  learnt  more  art  motives 
in  Spain  than  they  introduced  into  the 
country. 

These  and  many  other  points  of  interest 
will  have  to  be  neglected  in  the  present  chap¬ 
ter.  For  the  cathedrals  of  the  north  are 
(as  regards  the  ideal  which  brought  about 
their  erection)  radically  opposed  to  Moorish 
art. 


56 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Prehistoric  Roman  and  Visigothic  (?) 
art  are  equally  unimportant  in  this  study, 
as  neither  the  one  nor  the  other  constructed 
any  Christian  temple  standing  to-day.  That 
is  to  say,  cathedral;  for  Visigothic  or  early 
Latin  and  Byzantine  Romanesque  churches 
do  exist  in  Asturias,  and  a  notable  specimen 
in  Venta  de  Banos.  They  are  peculiarly 
strange  edifices,  and  it  is  to  be  regretted 
that  they  are  not  cathedrals,  for  their  study 
would  be  most  interesting,  not  only  as  re¬ 
gards  Iberian  art,  but  above  all  as  regards 
the  history  of  art  in  the  middle  ages.  So 
far,  they  have  been  completely  neglected, 
and,  unfortunately,  are  but  little  known 
abroad. 

ROMANESQUE. — The  origin  of  Roman¬ 
esque  is  greatly  discussed.  Some  attribute 
it  to  Italy,  others  to  France;  others  again 
are  of  the  conviction  that  all  Christian  (re¬ 
ligious)  art  previous  to  the  birth  of  Gothic 
is  Romanesque,  etc.,  etc.  The  most  plausible 
theory  is  that  the  style  in  question  evolved 
out  of  the  early  Latin-Christian  (basilique) 
style,  at  the  same  time  borrowing  many 
decorative  details  from  the  Byzantine-Chris- 
tian  style. 


57 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

In  Spain,  pre-Romanesque  Christian  archi¬ 
tecture  (or  Visigothic)  shows  decided  By¬ 
zantine  influence,  more  so,  probably,  than  in 
any  other  European  country.  This  pecu¬ 
liarity  influences  also  Romanesque,  both 
early  and  late.  It  is  not  strange,  either,  con¬ 
sidering  that  an  important  colony  of  Bizan- 
tinos  (Christians)  settled  in  Eastern  Anda¬ 
lusia  during  the  Visigothic  period. 

In  the  tenth  century  churches,  and  in 
the  eleventh  cathedrals,  commenced  to  be 
erected  in  Northern  Spain.  Byzantine  in¬ 
fluence  was  very  marked  in  the  earlier  monu¬ 
ments. 

Was  Romanesque  a  foreign  style?  Was 
it  introduced  from  Italy  or  France,  or  was 
it  a  natural  outcome  or  evolutionary  prod¬ 
uct  of  decadent  early  Christian  architec¬ 
ture?  In  the  latter  case  there  is  no  saying 
where  it  evolved,  possibly  to  the  north  or 
to  the  south  of  the  Pyrenees,  possibly  -  to 
the  east  or  to  the  west  of  the  Alps.  What 
is  more,  the  Pyrenees  in  those  days  did  not 
serve  as  a  strict  frontier  line  like  to-day; 
on  the  contrary,  both  Navarra  and  Aragon 
extended  beyond  the  mountainous  wall,  and 
the  dukes  of  Southern  France  occasionally 


58 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

possessed  immense  territories  and  cities  to 
the  south  of  the  Pyrenees. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  Romanesque,  as  a  style, 
first  dawned  in  Spain  in  the  tenth  and  elev¬ 
enth  centuries.  Its  birth  coincided  with 
that  of  the  popular  religious  crusade  against 
the  Moor  who  had  inhabited  the  peninsula 
during  four  centuries;  it  coincided  also  with 
the  great  church-erecting  period  of  Northern 
Spanish  history,  when  the  Alfonsos  of  Cas¬ 
tile  created  bishoprics  (to  aid  them  in  their 
political  ambitions)  as  easily  as  they  broke 
inconvenient  treaties  and  savagely  murdered 
friends,  relatives,  and  foes  alike.  Conse¬ 
quently,  many  were  the  Romanesque  cathe¬ 
drals  erected,  and  though  the  greater  part 
were  destroyed  later  and  replaced  by  Gothic 
structures,  several  fine  specimens  of  the 
former  style  are  still  to  be  seen. 

Needless  to  say,  Romanesque  became  lo¬ 
calized;  in  other  words,  it  acquired  certain 
characteristics  restricted  to  determined  re¬ 
gions.  Galician  Romanesque  and  that  of 
Western  Castile,  for  instance,  are  almost 
totally  different  in  aspect:  the  former  is  ex¬ 
ceedingly  poetical  and  possesses  carved  wall 
decorations  both  rich  and  excellent;  the 
latter  is  intensely  strong  and  warlike,  and 

59 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

the  decorations,  if  employed  at  all,  are  By¬ 
zantine,  or  at  least  Oriental  in  taste. 

Transition.  —  Many  of  the  cathedrals 
of  Galicia  belong,  according  to  several 
authors,  to  this  period  in  which  Romanesque 
strength  evolved  into  primitive  Gothic  or 
ogival  airiness.  In  another  chapter  a  per¬ 
sonal  opinion  has  been  emitted  denying  the 
accuracy  of  the  above  remark. 

There  is  no  typical  example  of  Transi¬ 
tion  in  Spain.  Ogival  changes  introduced 
at  a  later  date  into  Romanesque  churches, 
a  very  common  occurrence,  cannot  justify  the 
classification  of  the  buildings  as  Transition 
monuments. 

Nor  is  it  surprising  that  such  buildings 
should  be  lacking  in  Spain.  For  Gothic 
did  not  evolve  from  Romanesque  in  the  pen¬ 
insula,  but  was  introduced  from  France.  A 
short  time  after  its  first  appearance  it  swept 
all  before  it,  thanks  to  the  Cluny  monks, 
and  was  exclusively  used  in  church-building. 
In  a  strict  sense  it  stands,  moreover,  to 
reason  that  the  former  (Transition)  can 
only  exist  there  where  a  new  style  emerges 
from  an  old  without  being  introduced  from 
abroad. 


oo 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Ogival  Art.  —  The  thirteenth,  fourteenth, 
and  fifteenth  centuries  are,  properly  speaking, 
those  of  the  great  northern  art  wave  which 
spread  rapidly  through  the  peninsula,  bend¬ 
ing  all  before  its  irresistible  will.  Roman¬ 
esque  churches  were  destroyed  or  modified 
(the  introduction  of  an  ambulatory  in  almost 
all  Romanesque  buildings),  and  new  cathe¬ 
drals  sprung  up,  called  into  existence  by 
the  needs  and  requirements  of  a  new  people, 
a  conquering,  Christian  people,  driving  the 
infidel  out  of  the  land,  and  raising  the  Holy 
Cross  on  the  sacred  monuments  of  the  Islam 
religion. 

The  changements  introduced  into  the  new 
style  tended  to  give  it  a  more  severe  and 
defiant  exterior  appearance  than  in  northern 
churches,  —  a  scarcity  of  windows  and  flying 
buttresses,  timidly  pointed  arches,  and  solid 
towers.  Besides,  round-headed  arches  (vault¬ 
ings  and  horizontal  lines)  were  indiscrimi¬ 
nately  used  to  break  the  vertical  tendency 
of  pure  ogival;  so  also  were  Byzantine 
cupolas  and  domes. 

The  solemn,  cold,  and  naked  cathedral 
church  of  Alcala  de  Henares  is  a  fine  exam¬ 
ple  of  the  above.  Few  people  would  consider 
it  to  belong  to  the  same  class  as  the  eloquent 

61 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

cathedral  of  Leon  and  the  no  less  impos¬ 
ing  see  of  Burgos.  Nevertheless,  it  is,  every 
inch  of  it,  as  pure  Gothic  as  the  last  named, 
only,  it  is  essentially  Spanish,  the  other  two 
being  French;  it  bears  the  sombre  cachet  of 
the  age  of  Spanish  Inquisition,  of  the  fanatic 
intolerant  age  of  the  Catholic  kings. 

Later  Styles.  —  Toward  the  end  of  the 
fifteenth  and  the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth 
centuries,  Italian  Renaissance  entered  the 
country  and  drove  Gothic  architecture  out 
of  the  minds  of  artists  and  patronizing 
prelates. 

But  Italian  Renaissance  failed  to  impress 
the  Spaniard,  whose  character  was  opposed 
to  that  of  his  Mediterranean  cousin;  so  also 
was  the  general  aspect  of  his  country  dif¬ 
ferent  from  that  of  Italy.  Consequently,  it  is 
not  surprising  that  we  should  find  very  few 
pure  Renaissance  monuments  on  the  penin¬ 
sula.  On  the  other  hand,  Spanish  Renais¬ 
sance —  a  florid  form  of  the  Italian  —  is 
frequently  to  be  met  with;  in  its  severest 
form  it  is  called  piateresco . 

In  the  times  of  Philip  II.,  Juan  Herrero 
created  his  style  (Escorial),  of  which  sym- 
metry,  grandeur  in  size,  and  poverty  in 

62 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

decoration  were  the  leading  characteristics. 
The  reaction  came,  however,  quickly,  and 
Churriguera  introduced  the  most  astounding 
and  theatrical  grotesque  imaginable. 

The  later  history  of  Spanish  architecture 
is  similar  to  that  of  the  rest  of  Europe.  As 
it  is,  the  period  which  above  all  interests 
us  here  is  that  reaching  from  the  eleventh 
to  the  sixteenth  centuries,  embracing  Roman¬ 
esque,  ogival,  and  plateresque  styles.  Of 
the  cathedrals  treated  of  in  this  volume,  all 
belong  to  either  of  the  two  first  named  archi¬ 
tectural  schools,  excepting  those  of  Vallado¬ 
lid,  Madrid,  and,  to  a  certain  extent,  the  new 
cathedral  of  Salamanca  and  that  of  Segovia. 

Mudejar  Art.  —  Previous  to  the  advent 
of  Italian  Renaissance  in  Spain,  a  new  art 
had  been  created  which  was  purely  national, 
having  been  born  on  the  peninsula  as  the 
complex  product  of  Christian  and  Islam 
elements.  This  art,  known  by  the  generic 
name  of  Mudejar ,  received  a  mortal  blow  at 
the  hands  of  the  new  Italian  art  movement. 
Consequently,  the  only  school  which  might 
have  been  regarded  as  Spanish,  degenerated 
sadly,  sharing  the  fate  of  the  new-born 
nation. 


63 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Rather  than  a  constructive  style,  the  Mu- 
dejar  or  Spanish  style  is  decorative.  With 
admirable  variety  and  profusion  it  orna¬ 
mented  brick  surfaces  by  covering  them  with 
reliefs,  either  geometrical  (Moorish)  or 
Gothic,  either  sunk  into  the  wall  or  else 
the  latter  cut  around  the  former. 

The  aspect  of  these  Mudejar  buildings  is 
peculiar.  In  a  ruddy  plain  beneath  a  daz¬ 
zling  blue  sky,  these  red  brick  churches 
gleam  thirstily  from  afar.  Shadows  play 
among  the  reliefs,  lending  them  strength 
and  vigour;  the  alminar  tower  stands  forth 
prominently  against  the  sky  and  contrasts 
delightfully  with  the  cupola  raised  on  the 
apse  or  on  the  croisee. 

Among  the  finest  examples  of  Mudejar  art, 
must  be  counted  the  brilliantly  coloured 
ceilings,  such  as  are  to  be  seen  in  Alcala, 
Toledo,  and  elsewhere.  These  artesonados , 
without  being  Moorish,  are,  nevertheless,  of 
a  pronounced  Oriental  taste.  A  geometrical 
pattern  is  carved  on  the  wood  of  the  ceiling 
and  brilliantly  painted.  Prominent  surfaces 
are  preferably  golden  in  hue,  and  such  as 
are  sunk  beneath  the  level  are  red  or  blue. 
The  effect  is  dazzling. 

Unluckily,  but  little  attention  has  been 
64 


j$  - 

:  :  ..  i\\ JjM  )i/j;!(My 

- 


Mu  dejar  ARCHI¬ 
TECTURE  (SAHAGUN  i 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

paid  out  of  Spain  to  Mudejar  art,  and  it  is 
but  little  known.  Even  Spanish  critics  do 
not  agree  as  to  the  national  significance  of 
this  art,  and  it  is  a  great  pity,  as  unfortu¬ 
nately  the  country  can  point  to  no  other  art 
phenomena  and  claim  them  to  be  Spanish. 
How  can  it,  when  the  nation  had  not  as  yet 
been  born,  and,  once  born,  was  to  die  almost 
simultaneously,  like  a  moth  that  flies  blindly 
and  headlong  into  an  intense  flame? 


65 


IV 


CONCLUSION 

SPAIN  geographically  can  be  roughly  di¬ 
vided  into  two  parts,  a  northern  and  southern, 
separated  by  a  mountain  chain,  composed  of 
the  Sierras  de  Guaderrama,  Gredos,  and 
Gata  to  the  north  of  Madrid. 

Such  a  division  does  not,  however,  explain 
the  historical  development  of  the  Christian 
kingdoms  from  the  eighth  to  the  fifteenth 
centuries,  nor  is  it  advisable  to  adopt  it  for 
an  architectural  study. 

During  the  great  period  of  church-build¬ 
ing,  the  nine  kingdoms  of  Spain  formed  four 
distinct  groups:  Galicia,  Asturias,  Leon,  and 
Castile;  Navarra  and  Aragon;  Barcelona 
and  Valencia;  Andalusia. 

The  first  group  gradually  evolved  until 
Castile  absorbed  the  remaining  three  king¬ 
doms,  and  later  Andalusia  as  well;  the 
second  and  third  groups  succumbed  to  the 
royal  house  of  Aragon. 

66 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

From  an  architectural  point  of  view,  there 
are  three  groups,  or  even  four:  Castile,  Ara¬ 
gon,  the  Mediterranean  coast-line,  and  An¬ 
dalusia.  In  the  last  three  the  Oriental 
influence  is  far  more  pronounced  than  in 
the  first  named. 

Further,  Spain  is  divided  into  nine  arch¬ 
bishoprics:  four  corresponding  to  Castile 
(Santiago,  Burgos,  Valladolid,  and  Toledo)  ; 
one  to  Aragon  (Zaragoza)  ;  two  to  the 
Mediterranean  coast  (Tarragon  and  Valen¬ 
cia)  ;  and  two  to  Andalusia  (Sevilla  and 
Granada) . 

It  was  the  author’s  object  to  preserve  as 
far  as  possible  in  the  following  chapters 
and  in  the  general  subdivision  of  his  work, 
not  only  the  geographical,  but  the  historical, 
architectural,  and  ecclesiastical  divisions  as 
well.  Better  still,  he  sacrificed  the  first  when 
incompatible  with  the  latter  three. 

But  —  and  here  the  difficulty  arose  — 
what  title  should  be  chosen  for  each  of  the 
two  volumes  which  were  to  be  dedicated  to 
Spain?  Because  two  volumes  were  neces¬ 
sary,  considering  the  eighty  odd  cathedrals 
to  be  described. 

“  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain  ”  as  op¬ 
posed  to  “  Cathedrals  of  Southern  Spain  ”  — 

67 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

was  one  of  the  titles.  “  Gothic  cathedrals  of 
Spain  ”  —  as  opposed  to  “  Moorish  Cathe¬ 
drals  of  Spain”  —  was  another;  the  latter 
had  to  be  discarded,  as  only  one  Moorish 
mezquita  converted  into  a  Christian  temple 
exists  to-day,  namely,  that  of  Cordoba. 

There  remained,  therefore,  the  first  title. 

The  first  volume,  discarding  Navarra  and 
Aragon  (in  the  north),  is  dedicated  to  Castile, 
as  well  as  its  four  archbishoprics. 

The  narrow  belt  of  land,  running  from 
east  to  west,  from  Cuenca  to  Coria,  to  the 
south  of  the  Sierra  de  Guaderrama,  and  con¬ 
stituting  the  archbishopric  of  Toledo,  has 
been  added  to  the  region  lying  to  the  north 
and  to  the  northwest  of  Madrid. 

Moreover,  to  aid  the  reader,  the  present 
volume  has  been  divided  into  parts,  namely: 
Galicia,  the  North,  and  Castile;  the  latter 
has  been  subdivided  into  western  and  east¬ 
ern,  making  in  all  four  divisions. 

(i)  Galicia.  Santiago  de  Campostela  is, 
from  an  ecclesiastical  point  of  view,  all 
Galicia.  Thanks  to  this  spirit,  the  entire 
region  shows  a  decided  uniformity  in  the 
style  of  its  churches,  for  that  of  Santiago 
(Romanesque)  served  as  a  pattern  or  model 
to  be  adopted  in  the  remaining  sees.  The 

68 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

character  of  the  people  is  no  less  uniform, 
and  the  Celtic  inheritance  of  poetry  has 
drifted  into  the  monuments  of  the  Christian 
religion. 

The  episcopal  see  of  Oviedo  falls  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  Santiago;  the  Gothic 
cathedral  shows  no  Romanesque  motives  ex¬ 
cepting  the  Camara  Sagrada,  and  has  there¬ 
fore  been  included  in  — 

(2)  The  North.  With  the  exception  of 
Oviedo,  all  the  bishoprics  in  this  group  fall 
under  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Archbishop  of 
Burgos.  The  two  finest  Gothic  temples  in 
Northern  Spain  pertain  to  this  group: 
Burgos  and  Leon. 

There  is,  however,  but  little  uniformity 
in  this  northern  region,  for  Santander  and 
Vitoria  have  but  little  in  common  with  the 
remaining  sees. 

(3)  Western  Castile.  A  certain  de¬ 
gree  of  uniformity  is  seen  to  exist  among  the 
sees  of  Western  Castile,  namely,  the  warlike 
appearance  of  the  Byzantine  Romanesque 
edifices.  Besides,  the  use  of  sandstone  and 
brick  is  here  universal,  and  the  immense 
plain  of  Old  Castile  to  the  north  of  the 
Sierra  de  Gata,  and  of  Northern  Extremadura 
to  the  south  of  the  same  range,  have  a  pe- 

69 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

culiar  ruddy  aspect,  dry  and  Oriental 
(African?),  that  is  perfectly  delightful. 

The  sees  to  the  north  of  the  mentioned 
mountain  chain  belong  to  Valladolid;  those 
of  the  south  to  Toledo. 

(4)  Eastern  Castile  extends  from  Val¬ 
ladolid  in  the  north  (archbishopric)  to 
Toledo  in  the  south  (archbishopric),  from 
Avila  in  the  west  to  Sigiienza  in  the  east, 
and  to  Cuenca  in  the  extreme  southeast  of 
New'  Castile. 

In  the  middle  ages  the  Christian  kings 
of  Asturias  (Galicia?)  grew  more  and  more 
powerful,  and  their  territory  stretched  out 
to  the  south  and  to  the  east. 

On  the  Mino  River,  Tuy  and  Orense  were 
frontier  towns,  to  populate  which,  bishoprics 
were  erected.  To  the  south  of  Oviedo,  and 
almost  on  a  line  with  the  two  Galician 
towns,  Astorga,  Leon  and  Burgos  were 
strongly  fortified,  and  formed  an  imagi¬ 
nary  line  to  the  north  of  which  ruled  Chris¬ 
tian  monarchs,  and  to  the  south  Arab  emirs. 

Burgos  at  the  same  time  served  as  for¬ 
tress-town  against  the  rival  kings  of  Navarra 
to  the  north  and  east;  the  latter,  on  the 
other  hand,  fortified  the  Rioja  against  Cas- 

70 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

tile,  until  at  last  it  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  latter.  Then  Burgos,  no  longer  a  fron¬ 
tier  town,  grew  to  be  capital  of  the  new- 
formed  kingdom  of  Castile. 

Slowly,  but  surely,  the  Arabs  moved 
southwards,  followed  by  the  implacable 
line  of  Christian  fortresses.  At  one  time 
Valladolid,  Palencia,  Toro,  and  Zamora 
formed  this  line.  When  Toledo  was  con¬ 
quered  it  was  substituted  by  Coria,  Plasen- 
cia,  Sigiienza,  and,  slightly  to  the  north,  by 
Madrid,  Avila,  Segovia,  and  Salamanca. 
At  the  same  time  Sigiienza,  Segovia,  Soria, 
and  Logroho  formed  another  strategic  line 
of  fortifications  against  Aragon,  whilst  in  the 
west  Plasencia,  Coria,  Toro  and  Zamora, 
Tuy,  Orense,  and  Astorga  kept  the  Portu¬ 
guese  from  Castilian  soil.  In  the  extreme 
southwest  Cuenca,  impregnable  and  highly 
strategical,  looked  eastwards  and  southwards 
against  the  Moor,  and  northwards  against 
the  Aragonese. 

In  all  these  links  of  the  immense  strateg¬ 
ical  chain  which  protected  Castile  from  her 
enemies,  the  monarchs  were  cunning  enough 
to  erect  sees  and  appoint  warrior-bishops. 
They  even  donated  the  new  fortress-cities 
with  special  privileges  or  fueros,  in  virtue 

7i 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

of  which  settlers  came  from  all  parts  of  the 
country  to  inhabit  and  constitute  the  new 
municipality. 

Such  —  in  gigantic  strides  —  is  the  story 
of  most  of  Castile’s  world-famed  cities.  In 
each  chapter,  dates,  anecdotes,  and  more  de¬ 
tails  are  given,  with  a  view  to  enable  the 
reader  to  become  acquainted  not  only  with 
the  ecclesiastical  history  of  cities  like  Burgos 
and  Valladolid,  but  also  with  the  causes 
which  produced  the  growing  importance  of 
each  see,  as  well  as  its  decadence  within  the 
last  few  centuries. 


72 


PART  II 
Galicia 


I 


SANTIAGO  DE  CAMPOSTELA 

WHEN  the  Christian  religion  was  still 
young,  St.  James  the  Apostle  —  he  whom 
Christ  called  his  brother  —  landed  in  Galicia 
and  roamed  across  the  northern  half  of  the 
Iberian  peninsula  dressed  in  a  pilgrim’s 
modest  garb  and  leaning  upon  a  pilgrim’s 
humble  staff.  After  years  of  wandering  from 
place  to  place,  he  returned  to  Galicia  and 
was  beheaded  by  the  Romans,  his  enemies. 

This  legend  —  or  truth  —  has  been  poeti¬ 
cally  interwoven  with  other  legends  of 
Celtic  origin,  until  the  whole  story  forms 
what  Brunetiere  would  call  a  cycle  cheva- 
leresque  with  St.  James  —  or  Santiago  —  as 
the  central  hero. 

According  to  one  of  these  legends,  it 
would  appear  that  the  apostle  was  perse¬ 
cuted  by  his  great  enemy  Lupa,  a  woman 
of  singular  beauty  whom  the  ascetic  pilgrim 
had  mortally  offended.  Thanks  to  certain 

75 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

accessory  details,  it  is  possible  to  assume 
that  Lupa  is  the  symbol  of  the  “  God  with¬ 
out  a  name  ”  of  Celtic  mythology,  and  it 
is  she  who  finally  venges  herself  by  decapi¬ 
tating  the  pilgrim  saint. 

The  disciples  of  St.  James  laid  his  corpse 
in  a  cart,  together  with  the  executioner’s  axe 
and  the  pilgrim’s  staff.  Two  wild  bulls 
were  then  harnessed  to  the  vehicle,  and  away 
went  cart  and  saint.  As  night  fell  and  the 
moon  rose  over  the  vales  of  Galicia,  the 
weary  animals  stopped  on  the  summit  of 
a  wooded  hill  in  an  unknown  vale,  sur¬ 
rounded  by  other  hillocks  likewise  covered 
with  foliage  and  verdure. 

The  disciples  buried  the  saint,  together 
with  axe  and  staff,  and  there  they  left  him 
with  the  secret  of  his  burial-ground. 

This  must  have  happened  in  the  first  or 
second  century  of  the  Christian  era.  Six 
hundred  years  later,  and  one  hundred  years 
after  the  Moors  had  landed  in  Andalusia, 
one  Theodosio,  Bishop  of  Iria  (Galicia), 
took  a  walk  one  day  in  his  wide  domains 
accompanied  by  a  monk.  Together  they 
lost  their  way  and  roamed  about  till  night¬ 
fall,  when  they  found  themselves  far  from 
home. 


76 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Stars  twinkled  in  the  heavens  as  they  do 
to  this  day.  Being  tired,  the  bishop  and 
his  companion  dreamt  as  they  walked  along 

—  at  least  it  appears  so  from  what  followed 

—  and  the  stars  were  so  many  miraculous 
lights  which  led  the  wanderers  on  and  on. 
At  last  the  stars  remained  motionless  above 
a  wooded  hill  standing  isolated  in  a  beauti¬ 
ful  vale.  The  prelate  stopped  also,  and  it 
occurred  to  him  to  dig,  for  he  attributed 
his  dreams  to  a  supernatural  miracle.  Dig¬ 
ging,  a  coffin  was  revealed  to  him,  and 
therein  the  saintly  remains  of  St.  James 
or  Santiago. 

Giving  thanks  to  Him  who  guides  all 
steps,  Theodosio  returned  to  Iria,  and,  by 
his  orders,  a  primitive  basilica  was  erected 
some  years  later  on  the  very  spot  where 
the  saint  had  been  buried,  and  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  place  the  high  altar  just  above 
the  coffin.  A  crypt  was  then  dug  out  and 
lined  with  mosaic,  and  the  coffin,  either 
repaired  or  renewed,  was  laid  therein,  — 
some  say  it  was  visible  to  the  hordes  of 
pilgrims  in  the  tenth  and  eleventh  cen¬ 
turies. 

The  shrine  was  then  called  Santiago  de 
Campostela.  —  Santiago,  which  means  St. 

77 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

James,  and  Campostela,  field  of  stars,  in 
memory  of  the  miraculous  lights  the  Bishop 
of  Iria  and  his  companion  had  perceived 
whilst  sweetly  dreaming. 

The  news  of  the  discovery  spread  abroad 
with  wonderful  rapidity.  Monasteries, 
churches,  and  inns  soon  surrounded  the 
basilica,  and  within  a  few  years  a  village 
and  then  a  city  (the  bishop’s  see  was  created 
previous  to  842  A.  D.)  filled  the  vale,  which 
barely  fifty  years  earlier  had  been  an  un¬ 
discovered  and  savage  region. 

Throughout  the  middle  ages,  from  the 
eleventh  to  the  fifteenth  centuries,  Santiago 
de  Campostela  was  the  scene  of  pilgrim¬ 
ages  —  not  to  say  crusades  —  to  the  tomb 
of  St.  James.  From  France,  Italy,  Ger¬ 
many,  and  England  hundreds  and  thousands 
of  men,  women,  and  children  wandered  to 
the  Galician  valley,  then  one  of  the  foci  of 
ecclesiastical  significance  and  industrial 
activity.  The  city,  despite  its  local  character, 
wore  an  international  garb,  much  to  the 
benefit  of  Galician,  even  Spanish,  arts  and 
literature.  It  is  a  pity  that  so  little  research 
has  been  made  concerning  these  pilgrimages 
and  the  influences  they  brought  to  bear  on 
the  history  of  the  country.  A  book  treating 

78 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

of  this  subject  would  be  a  highly  interest¬ 
ing  account  of  one  of  the  most  important 
movements  of  the  middle  ages. 

The  Moors  under  Almanzor  pillaged  the 
city  of  Santiago  in  999;  then  they  retreated 
southwards,  as  was  their  wont.  The  Norman 
vikings  also  visited  the  sacred  vale,  at¬ 
tracted  thither  by  the  reports  of  its  wealth ; 
but  they  also  retreated,  like  the  waves  of 
the  sea  when  the  tide  goes  out. 

After  the  last  Arab  invasion,  an  extem¬ 
poraneous  edifice  was  erected  in  place  of 
the  shrine  which  had  been  demolished.  It 
did  not  stand  long,  however,  for  the  Chris- 
tain  kings  of  Spain,  whose  dominions  were 
limited  to  Asturias,  Leon,  and  Galicia,  or¬ 
dered  the  construction  of  a  building  worthy 
of  St.  James,  who  was  looked  upon  as  the 
god  of  battles,  much  like  St.  George  in 
England. 

So  in  1078  the  new  cathedral,  the  present 
building,  was  commenced,  and,  as  the  story 
runs,  it  was  built  around  the  then  existing 
basilica,  which  was  left  standing  until  after 
the  vault  of  the  new  edifice  had  been  closed. 

The  history  of  Spain  at  this  moment 
helped  to  increase  the  religious  importance 
of  Santiago.  The  kingdom  of  Asturias 

79 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

(Oviedo)  had  stretched  out  beyond  its 
limits  and  died;  the  Christian  nuclei  were 
Galicia,  Leon,  and  Navarra.  In  these  three 
the  power  of  the  noblemen,  and  consequently 
of  the  bishops  and  archbishops,  was  greater 
than  it  had  ever  been  before.  Each  was 
lord  or  sovereign  in  his  own  domains,  and 
fought  against  his  enemies  with  or  without 
the  aid  of  the  infidel  Arab  armies,  which  he 
had  no  compunction  in  inviting  to  help 
him  against  his  Christian  brothers.  Now 
and  again  a  king  managed  to  subdue  these 
aristocratic  lords  and  ecclesiastical  prelates, 
but  only  for  a  short  time.  Besides,  nowhere 
was  the  independent  spirit  of  the  noblemen 
more  accentuated  than  in  Galicia;  nowhere 
were  the  prelates  so  rebellious  as  in  Santi¬ 
ago,  the  Sacred  City,  and  none  attained  a 
greater  height  of  personal  power  and  wealth 
than  Diego  Galmirez,  the  first  archbishop 
of  Santiago,  and  one  of  the  most  striking 
and  interesting  personalities  of  Spanish 
history  in  the  twelfth  century,  to  whom 
Santiago  owes  much  of  her  glory,  and  Spain 
not  little  of  her  future  history. 

The  twelfth  and  thirteenth  centuries  were 
thus  the  period  of  Santiago’s  greatest  fame 
and  renown.  Little  by  little  the  central 

80 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

power  of  the  monarchs  went  southwards  to 
Castile  and  Andalusia,  and  little  by  little 
Santiago  declined  and  dwindled  in  im¬ 
portance,  until  to-day  it  is  one  city  more  of 
those  that  have  been  and  are  no  longer. 

For  the  city’s  history  is  that  of  its  cathe¬ 
dral,  of  its  shrine.  With  the  birth  of  Prot¬ 
estantism  and  the  death  of  feudal  power, 
both  city  and  cathedral  lost  their  previous 
importance:  they  had  sprung  into  life  to¬ 
gether,  and  the  existence  of  the  one  was  in¬ 
tricately  interwoven  with  that  of  the  other. 

The  stranger  who  visits  Santiago  to-day 
does  not  approach  it  fervently  by  the  Mount 
of  Joys  as  did  the  footsore  pilgrims  in  the 
middle  ages.  On  the  contrary,  he  steps  out 
of  the  train  and  hurries  to  the  cathedral 
church,  which  sadly  seems  to  repeat  the 
thoughts  of  the  city  itself,  or  the  words 
of  Senor  Muguira: 

“To-day,  what  am  I?  An  echo  of  the 
joys  and  pains  of  hundreds  of  generations; 
a  distant  rumour  both  confused  and  unde- 
finable,  a  last  sunbeam  fading  at  evening 
and  dying  on  the  glassy  surface  of  sleeping 
waters.  Never  will  man  learn  my  secrets, 
never  will  he  be  able  to  open  my  granite 

81 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

lips  and  oblige  them  to  reveal  the  mysterious 
past.” 

As  is  generally  known,  the  cathedral  is 
a  Romanesque  building  of  the  eleventh  and 
twelfth  centuries  mutilated  by  posterior 
additions  and  recent  ameliorations  (sic). 
It  was  begun  in  1078,  and,  though  finished 
about  150  years  later,  no  ogival  elements 
drifted  into  the  construction  until  long  after 
its  completion.  As  will  be  seen  later  on,  it 
served  as  the  model  for  most  of  Galicia’s 
cathedrals.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  gen¬ 
erally  believed  to  be  an  imitation  —  as  re¬ 
gards  the  general  disposition  —  of  St. 
Saturnin  in  Toulouse:  a  combatable  theory, 
however,  as  the  churches  were  contempo¬ 
raneous. 

Seen  from  the  outside,  the  Cathedral  of 
Santiago  lacks  harmony;  few  remains  of  the 
primitive  structure  are  to  be  discovered 
among  the  many  later-date  additions  and  re¬ 
forms.  The  base  of  the  towers  and  some 
fine  blinded  windows,  with  naive  low  re¬ 
liefs  in  the  semicircular  tympanum,  will  have 
to  be  excepted. 

The  Holy  Door  —  a  peculiarly  placed 
apsidal  portal  on  the  eastern  front  —  is 
built  up  of  decorative  elements  saved  from 

82 


SANTIAGO  AND 
ITS  CATHEDRAL 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

the  northern  and  western  fagades  when  they 
were  torn  down. 

The  best  portal  is  the  Puerta  de  la  Pla- 
teria,  opening  into  the  southern  arm  of  the 
transept.  It  is,  unluckily,  depressed  and 
thrown  into  the  background  by  the  cloister 
walls  on  the  left,  and  by  the  Trinity  Tower 
on  the  right.  Nevertheless,  both  handsome 
and  sober,  it  can  be  counted  among  the 
finest  examples  of  its  kind  —  pure  Roman¬ 
esque  —  in  Spain,  and  is  rendered  even  more 
attractive  by  the  peculiar  Galician  poetry 
which  inspired  its  sculptors. 

Immediately  above  the  panels  of  the  door, 
which  are  covered  with  twelfth  -  century 
metal  reliefs,  there  is  a  stone  plaque  or  low 
relief,  representing  the  Passion  scene;  to 
the  left  of  it  is  to  be  seen  a  kneeling  woman 
holding  a  skull  in  her  hand.  Evidently  it 
is  a  weeping,  penitent  Magdalene.  The 
popular  tongue  has  invented  a  legend  — 
perhaps  a  true  one  —  concerning  this  woman, 
who  is  believed  to  symbolize  the  adulteress. 
It  appears  that  a  certain  hidalgo,  discovering 
his  wife’s  sins,  killed  her  lover  by  cutting  off 
his  head;  he  then  obliged  her  to  kiss  and 
adore  the  skull  twice  daily  throughout  her 
life,  —  a  rather  cruel  punishment  and  a 

83 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

slow  torture,  quite  in  accordance  with  the 
mystic  spirit  of  the  Celts. 

The  apse  of  the  church,  circular  in  the 
interior,  is  squared  off  on  the  outside  by 
the  addition  of  chapels.  As  regards  the 
plateresque  northern  and  western  fagades, 
they  are  out  of  place,  though  the  former 
might  have  passed  off  elsewhere  as  a  fairly 
good  example  of  the  severe  sixteenth-cen¬ 
tury  style. 

The  general  plan  of  the  building  is  Roman 
cruciform;  the  principal  nave  is  high,  and 
contains  both  choir  and  high  altar;  the  two 
aisles  are  much  lower  and  darker,  and  ter¬ 
minate  behind  the  high  altar  in  an  ambula¬ 
tory  walk.  The  width  of  the  transept  is 
enormous,  and  is  composed  of  a  nave  and 
two  aisles  similar  in  size  to  those  of  the 
body  of  the  church.  The  croisee  is  sur¬ 
mounted  by  a  dome,  which,  though  not 
Romanesque,  is  certainly  an  advantageous 
addition. 

Excepting  the  high  altar  with  its  retablo, 
the  choir  with  its  none  too  beautiful  stalls, 
and  the  various  chapels  of  little  interest 
and  less  taste,  the  general  view  of  the  in¬ 
terior  is  impressively  beautiful.  The  height 
of  the  central  nave,  rendered  more  elegant 

84 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

by  the  addition  of  a  handsome  Romanesque 
triforium  of  round-headed  arches,  contrasts 
harmoniously  with  the  sombre  aisles,  whereas 
the  bareness  of  the  walls  —  for  all  mural 
paintings  were  washed  away  by  a  bigoted 
prelate  somewhere  in  the  fifteenth  century 
—  helps  to  show  off  to  better  advantage 
the  rich  sculptural  decorations,  leaf  and 
floral  designs  on  capitals  and  friezes. 

The  real  wonder  of  the  cathedral  is  the 
far-famed  Portico  de  la  Gloria,  the  vesti¬ 
bule  or  narthex  behind  the  western  en¬ 
trance  of  the  church,  and  as  renowned  as 
its  sculptural  value  is  meritorious. 

So  much  has  already  been  written  con¬ 
cerning  this  work  of  art  that  really  little 
need  be  mentioned  here.  Street,  who  per¬ 
suaded  the  British  Government  to  send  a 
body  of  artists  to  take  a  plaster  copy  of  this 
strange  work,  could  not  help  declaring  that: 
“  I  pronounce  this  effort  of  Master  Mathews 
at  Santiago  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  glories 
of  Christian  art.” 

And  so  it  is.  Executed  in  the  true  Ro¬ 
manesque  period,  each  column  and  square 
inch  of  surface  covered  with  exquisite  dec¬ 
orative  designs,  elaborated  with  care  and 
not  hastily,  as  was  the  habit  of  later-day 

85 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

artists,  the  three-vaulted  rectangular  vesti¬ 
bule  between  the  body  of  the  church  and 
the  western  extremity  where  the  light  streams 
in  through  the  rose  window,  is  an  immense 
allegory  of  the  Christian  religion,  of  human 
life,  and  above  all  of  the  mystic,  melancholy 
poetry  of  Celtic  Galicia.  Buried  in  half- 
lights,  this  song  of  stone  with  the  statue 
of  the  Trinity  and  St.  James,  with  the  angels 
blowing  their  trumpets  from  the  walls,  and 
the  virtues  and  vices  of  this  world  symbol¬ 
ized  by  groups  and  by  persons,  is  of  a  sin¬ 
cere  poetry  that  leaves  a  lasting  impression 
upon  the  spectator.  Life,  Faith,  and  Death, 
Judgment  and  Purgatory,  Hell  and  Para¬ 
dise  or  Glory,  are  the  motives  carved  out 
in  stone  in  this  unique  narthex,  so  masterful 
in  the  execution,  and  so  vivid  in  the  tale 
it  tells,  that  we  can  compare  its  author  to 
Dante,  and  call  the  Portico  de  la  Gloria 
the  “  Divina  Commedia  ”  of  architecture. 

At  one  end  there  is  the  figure  of  a  kneel¬ 
ing  man,  the  head  almost  touching  the 
ground  in  the  body’s  fervent  prostration  in 
front  of  the  group  representing  Glory,  Trin¬ 
ity,  and  St.  James.  Is  it  a  twelfth-century 
pilgrim  whom  the  artist  in  a  moment  of 
realistic  enthusiasm  has  portrayed  here,  in 

86 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

the  act  of  praying  to  his  Creator  and  in¬ 
voking  his  mercy?  Or  is  it  the  portrait  of 
the  artist,  who,  even  after  death,  wished  to 
live  in  the  midst  of  the  wonders  of  his  crea¬ 
tion?  It  is  not  positively  known,  though 
it  is  generally  supposed  to  be  Maestro 
Mateo  himself,  kneeling  in  front  of  his 
Glory,  admiring  it  as  do  all  visitors,  and 
watching  over  it  as  would  a  mother  over 
her  son. 

If  the  chapels  which  surround  the  build¬ 
ing  have  been  omitted  on  account  of  their 
artistic  worthlessness,  not  the  same  fate 
awaits  the  cloister. 

Of  a  much  later  date  than  the  cathedral 
itself,  having  been  constructed  in  the  six¬ 
teenth  century,  it  is  a  late  Gothic  monument 
betraying  Renaissance  additions  and  mix¬ 
tures;  consequently  it  is  entirely  out  of 
place  and  time  here,  and  does  not  harmon¬ 
ize  with  the  cathedral.  Examined  as  a  de¬ 
tached  edifice,  it  impresses  favourably  as 
regards  the  height  and  length  of  the  gal¬ 
leries,  which  show  it  to  be  one  of  the  largest 
cloisters  in  Spain. 

The  cathedral’s  crvpt  is  one  of  its  most 
peculiar  features,  and  certainly  well  worth 
examining  better  than  has  been  heretofore 

87 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

done.  It  is  reached  by  a  small  door  behind 
the  high  altar  (evidently  used  when  the 
saint’s  coffin  was  placed  on  grand  occasions 
on  the  altar-table)  or  by  a  subterranean 
gallery  leading  down  from  the  Portico  de 
la  Gloria,  a  gallery  as  rich  in  sculptural 
decorations  as  the  vestibule  itself. 

The  popular  belief  in  Galicia  is  that  in 
this  crypt  the  cathedral  reflects  itself,  towers 
and  all,  as  it  would  in  the  limpid  surface 
of  a  lake.  Hardly;  and  yet  the  crypt  is 
a  nude  copy  of  the  ground  floor  above, 
with  the  corresponding  naves  and  aisles  and 
apsidal  chapels.  The  height  of  the  crypt 
is  surprising,  the  architectural  construction 
is  pure  Romanesque,  —  more  so  than  that 
of  the  building  itself,  —  and  just  beneath 
the  high  altar  the  shrine  of  St.  James  is 
situated  where  it  was  found  in  the  ninth 
century. 


88 


II 


CORUNNA 

CORUNNA,  seated  on  her  beautiful  bay, 
the  waters  of  which  are  ever  warmed  by 
the  Gulf  Stream,  gazes  out  westwards 
across  the  turbulent  waves  of  the  ocean  as 
she  has  done  for  nearly  two  thousand  years. 

Brigandtia  was  her  first  known  name,  a 
centre  of  the  Celtic  druid  religion.  The 
inhabitants  of  the  town,  it  is  to-day  believed, 
communicated  by  sea  with  their  brethren 
in  Ireland  long  before  the  coming  of  the 
Phoenicians  and  Greeks  who  established  a 
trading  post  and  a  tin  factory,  and  built 
the  Tower  of  Hercules. 

The  Roman  conquest  saved  Brigandtium 
from  being  great  before  her  time.  For  the 
Latin  people  were  miserable  sailors,  and 
gazed  with  awe  into  the  waves  of  the  At¬ 
lantic.  For  them  Brigandtia  was  the  last 
spot  in  the  world,  a  dangerous  spot,  to  be 
shunned.  So  they  left  her  seated  on  her 

89 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

beautiful  bay  beside  the  Torre  de  Hercules, 
and  made  Lugo  their  capital. 

In  the  shuffling  of  bishops  and  sees  in 
the  fifth  and  sixth  centuries,  Corunna  was 
forgotten.  Unimportant,  known  only  for  its 
castle  and  its  tower,  it  passed  a  useless  ex¬ 
istence,  patiently  waiting  for  a  change  in  its 
favour. 

This  change  came  in  the  fifteenth  cen¬ 
tury  as  a  result  of  the  discovery  of  America. 
Since  then,  and  with  varying  success,  the 
city  has  grown  in  importance,  until  to-day 
it  is  the  most  wealthy  and  active  of  Galicia’s 
towns,  and  one  of  the  largest  seaports  on 
Spain’s  Atlantic  coast. 

Its  history  since  the  sixteenth  century  is 
well  known,  especially  to  Englishmen,  who, 
whenever  their  country  had  a  rupture  with 
Spain,  were  quick  in  entering  Corunna’s 
bay.  From  here  part  of  the  Invincible 
Armada  sailed  one  day  to  fight  the  Saxons 
and  to  be  destroyed  by  a  tempest;  ten  years 
later  England  returned  the  challenge  with 
better  luck,  and  her  fleets  entered  the  his¬ 
torical  bay  and  burned  the  town.  During 
the  war  with  Napoleon,  General  Moore 
fought  the  French  in  the  vicinity  and  lost  his 
life,  whereas  a  few  years  earlier  an  English 

90 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

fleet  defeated,  just  outside  the  bay,  a  united 
French  and  Spanish  squadron. 

To-day,  the  old  city  on  the  hill  looks 
down  upon  the  new  one  below;  the  former 
is  poetic  and  artistic,  the  latter  is  straight- 
lined,  industrial,  and  modern.  Neverthe¬ 
less,  the  aspect  of  the  city  denies  its  age, 
for  it  is  more  modern  than  many  cities  that 
are  younger.  What  is  more,  tradition  does 
not  weigh  heavily  on  its  brow,  and  depress 
its  inhabitants,  as  is  the  case  in  Lugo  and 
Tuy  and  Santiago.  The  movement  on  the 
wharves,  the  continual  coming  and  going  of 
vessels  of  all  sizes,  commerce,  industry,  and 
other  delights  of  modern  civilization  do 
not  give  the  citizens  leisure  to  ponder  over 
the  city’s  two  thousand  years,  nor  to  pre¬ 
occupy  themselves  about  art  problems. 
Moreover,  the  tourist  who  has  come  to 
Spain  to  visit  Toledo  and  Sevilla  hurries 
off  inland,  gladly  leaving  Corunna’s  streets 
to  sailors  and  to  merchants. 

There  are,  nevertheless,  two  churches  well 
worth  a  visit;  one  is  the  Colegiata  (supposed 
to  have  been  a  bishopric  for  a  short  time 
in  the  thirteenth  century)  or  suffragan 
church,  and  the  other  the  Church  of  Santi¬ 
ago.  The  latter  has  a  fine  Romanesque  por- 

91 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

tal  of  the  twelfth  century,  reminding  one 
in  certain  decorative  details  of  the  Portico 
de  la  Gloria  in  Santiago.  The  interior  of 
the  building  consists  of  one  nave  or  aisle 
spanned  by  a  daring  vault,  executed  in  the 
early  ogival  style;  doubtless  it  was  origi¬ 
nally  Romanesque,  as  is  evidently  shown  by 
the  capitals  of  the  pillars,  and  was  most 
likely  rebuilt  after  the  terrible  fire  which 
broke  out  early  in  the  sixteenth  century. 

Santa  Maria  del  Campo  is  the  name  of 
the  suffragan  church  dedicated  to  the  Vir¬ 
gin.  The  church  itself  was  erected  to  a 
suffragan  of  Santiago  in  1441.  The  date 
of  its  erection  is  doubtful,  some  authors 
placing  it  in  the  twelfth  and  others  in  the 
thirteenth  century.  Street,  whom  we  can 
take  as  an  intelligent  guide  in  these  matters, 
calls  it  a  twelfth-century  church,  contem¬ 
poraneous  with  and  perhaps  even  built  by 
the  same  architect  who  built  that  of  Santiago 
de  Campostela.  Moreover,  the  mentioned 
critic  affirms  this  in  spite  of  a  doubtful  in¬ 
scription  placed  in  the  vault  above  the  choir, 
which  accuses  the  building  of  having  been 
completed  in  1307. 

The  primitive  plan  of  the  church  was 
doubtless  Romanesque,  of  one  nave  and  two 

92 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

aisles.  As  in  Mondonedo  and  Lugo,  the 
former  is  surmounted  by  an  ogival  vault, 
and  the  aisles,  lower  in  height,  are  some¬ 
what  depressed  by  the  use  of  Romanesque 
plein  -  cintre  vaultings.  The  form  of  the 
building  is  that  of  a  Roman  cross  with 
rather  short  arms;  the  apse  consists  of  but 
one  chapel,  the  lady-chapel.  As  regards 
the  light,  it  is  horrible,  for  the  window  in  the 
west  is  insignificant  and,  what  is  more,  has 
recently  been  blinded,  though  only  Heaven 
knows  why.  The  towers  emerging  from 
the  western  front  are  unmeaning,  and  not 
similar,  which  detracts  from  the  harmony 
of  the  whole.  As  regards  the  different  fa¬ 
cades,  the  western  has  been  spoilt  quite 
recently;  the  northern  and  southern  are,  how¬ 
ever,  Romanesque,  though  not  pure,  as  ogival 
arches  are  used  in  the  decoration  of  the  tym¬ 
panum. 

In  other  words,  the  Church  of  Santiago  at 
Corunna  is  more  important,  from  an  archae¬ 
ological  point  of  view,  than  the  Colegiata. 
The  fishing  folk  do  not  think  so,  however; 
they  care  but  little  for  such  secondary  de¬ 
tails,  and  their  veneration  is  entirely  cen¬ 
tred  in  the  suffragan  church  —  “  one  of  the 
three  Virgins,”  as  they  call  her  to  whom 

93 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


it  is  dedicated.  To  them  this  particular 
Mary  is  the  estrella  del  mar  (sea  star),  and 
she  is  the  principal  object  of  their  devotion. 
It  is  strange — be  it  said  in  parenthesis — how 
frequently  in  Galicia  mention  is  made  of 
stars:  they  form  a  most  important  feature 
of  the  country’s  superstitions.  Blood  will 
out  —  and  Celtic  mythology  peeps  through 
the  Christian  surface  in  spite  of  centuries 
of  true  belief. 


94 


Ill 


MONDONEDO 

A  VILLAGE  grown  to  be  a  city,  and  yet  a 
village.  A  city  without  history  or  tradition, 
and  a  cathedral  that  has  been  spoilt  by  the 
hand  of  time,  and  above  all  by  the  hands 
of  luckless  artists  called  upon  to  rebuild 
deteriorated  parts. 

To  the  north  of  Lugo,  at  a  respectable  dis¬ 
tance  from  the  railway  which  runs  from  the 
latter  to  Corunna,  and  reached  either  by 
means  of  a  stage  or  on  horseback,  Mondonedo 
passes  a  sleeping  existence  in  a  picturesque 
vale  surrounded  by  the  greenest  of  hills. 
Rarely  bothered  by  the  tourist  who  prefers 
the  train  to  the  stage,  it  procures  for  the 
art  lover  many  moments  of  delight  —  that  is, 
if  he  will  but  take  the  trouble  to  visit  the 
cathedral,  the  two  towers  of  which  loom  up 
in  the  vale,  and  though  rather  too  stumpy 
to  be  able  to  lend  elegance  to  the  ensemble, 
add  a  poetic  charm  to  the  valley  and  to  the 
village  itself. 


95 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

How  on  earth  did  it  ever  occur  to  any  one 
to  raise  the  church  at  Mondonedo  to  a  bish¬ 
opric?  Surely  the  sees  in  Galicia  were  badly 
shuffled;  and  yet,  where  can  a  quieter  spot 
be  found  in  this  wide  world  of  ours  for  the 
contemplation  of  a  cathedral — and  a  Roman¬ 
esque  one,  to  boot! 

It  is  to  the  Norman  vikings  that  is  due 
the  establishment  of  a  see  in  this  lonely  val¬ 
ley.  Until  the  sixth  century  it  had  been 
situated  in  Mindunietum  of  the  Romans, 
when  it  was  removed  to  Ribadeo,  remaining 
there  until  late  in  the  twelfth  century.  Both 
these  towns  were  seaports,  and  both  suf¬ 
fered  from  the  cruel  incursions  and  piratical 
expeditions  of  the  vikings,  and  so  after  the 
total  pillage  of  the  church  in  Ribadeo,  the 
see  was  removed  inland  out  of  harm’s  way, 
to  a  village  known  by  the  name  of  Villa- 
mayor  or  Mondonedo.  There  it  has  re¬ 
mained  till  the  present  day,  ignored  by  the 
tourist  who  “  has  no  time,”  and  who  follows 
the  beaten  track  established  by  Messrs.  Cook 
and  Company,  in  London. 

As  will  have  been  seen,  Mondonedo  is 
a  city  without  history,  and  without  a  past; 
doubtless  it  will  for  ever  remain  a  village 
without  a  future.  Its  doings,  its  raison 

96 


ENER'AL  VIEW  , 

OF  MONDONEDO 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

d’etre,  are  summed  up  in  the  cathedral  that 
stands  in  its  centre,  just  as  in  Santiago,  though 
from  different  motives. 

It  is,  perhaps,  the  most  picturesque  spot  in 
Galicia,  a  gently  sloping  landscape  buried  in 
a  violet  haze,  reminding  one  of  Swiss  val¬ 
leys  in  the  quiet  Jura.  Besides,  the  streets 
are  silent  and  often  deserted,  the  village  inn 
or  fonda  is  neither  excellent  nor  very  bad, 
and  as  for  the  villagers,  they  are  happy, 
simple,  and  hospitable  dawdlers  along  the 
paths  of  this  life. 

According  to  a  popular  belief,  the  life  of 
one  man,  a  bishop  named  Don  Martin 
(1219-48),  is  wrapped  up  in  Mondonedo’s 
cathedral,  so  much  so,  in  fact,  that  both  their 
lives  are  one  and  the  same.  He  began  build¬ 
ing  his  see;  he  saw  it  finished  and  conse¬ 
crated  it — construxit,  consumavit  et  con- 
sacravit;  then  he  died,  but  the  church  and 
his  name  lived  on. 

Modern  art  critics  disagree  with  the  above 
belief;  the  older  or  primitive  part  of  the 
church  dates  from  the  twelfth  and  not  from 
the  thirteenth  century.  Originally,  as  can 
easily  be  seen  upon  examining  the  older  part 
of  the  building,  it  was  a  pure  Romanesque 
basilica,  the  nave  and  the  two  aisles  running 

97 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

up  to  the  transept,  where  they  were  cut  off, 
and  immediately  to  the  east  of  the  latter 
came  the  apse  with  three  chapels,  the  lady- 
chapel  being  slightly  larger  than  the  lateral 
ones. 

In  the  primitive  construction  of  the  build¬ 
ing —  and  excepting  all  later-date  additions, 
of  which  there  are  more  than  enough  — 
early  Gothic  and  Romanesque  elements  are 
so  closely  intermingled  that  one  is  perforce 
obliged  to  consider  the  monument  as  belong¬ 
ing  to  the  period  of  Transition,  as  being, 
perhaps,  a  unique  example  of  this  period  to 
be  met  with  in  Galicia  or  even  in  Spain. 
Of  course,  as  in  the  case  of  the  other  Gali¬ 
cian  cathedrals,  the  original  character  of  the 
interior,  which  if  it  had  remained  unaltered 
would  be  both  majestic  and  imposing,  has 
been  greatly  deformed  by  the  addition  of 
posterior  reforms.  The  form  of  the  apse  has 
been  completely  changed  by  the  introduc¬ 
tion  of  an  ambulatory  or  circular  apsidal 
aisle  dating  at  least  from  the  fifteenth  cen¬ 
tury,  as  shown  by  the  presence  of  the  late 
Gothic  and  Renaissance  elements. 

The  general  plan  is  rectangular,  120 
feet  long  by  seventy-one  wide,  and  seen 
from  the  outside  is  solid  rather  than  elegant, 

98 


Ou 

!A>KI 


MON  DON  EDO 
CATHEDRAL 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

a  fortress  rather  than  a  temple.  The  height 
of  the  nave,  crowned  by  a  Gothic  vaulting, 
is  about  forty-five  feet;  a  triforium  (ogival) 
runs  around  the  top.  The  lateral  aisles  are 
slightly  more  than  half  as  high  and  cov¬ 
ered  by  a  Romanesque  vaulting  reposing  on 
capitals  and  shafts  of  the  finest  twelfth  cen¬ 
tury  execution. 

The  original  basilica  form  of  the  church 
has,  unluckily,  been  altered  by  the  additional 
length  given  to  the  arms  of  the  transept,  and, 
as  mentioned  already,  by  the  ambulatory 
walk  characteristic  of  Spanish  cathedrals; 
the  workmanship  of  the  latter,  though  la¬ 
mentably  out  of  tune  in  this  old  cathedral, 
is,  taken  by  itself,  better  than  many  similar 
additions  in  other  churches. 

The  western  fagade,  which  is  the  only  one 
worthy  of  contemplation,  is  as  good  an  ex¬ 
ample  of  Romanesque,  spoilt  by  the  addition 
at  a  recent  date  of  grotesque  and  bizarre 
figures  and  monsters,  as  can  be  seen  any¬ 
where. 

The  buttresses  are  more  developed  than 
in  either  Lugo  or  Santiago,  and  though  these 
bodies,  from  a  decorative  point  of  view, 
were  evidently  intended  to  give  a  certain 
seal  of  elegance  to  the  ensemble,  the  stunted 

99 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

towers  and  the  few  windows  in  the  body  of 
the  church  only  help  to  heighten  its  for¬ 
tress-like  aspect. 

In  a  previous  paragraph  it  has  been  stated 
that  this  cathedral  is  perhaps  a  unique  ex¬ 
ample  of  the  period  of  Transition  (Roman¬ 
esque  and  early  Gothic).  It  is  an  opinion 
shared  by  many  art  critics,  but  personally 
the  author  of  these  lines  is  inclined  to  con¬ 
sider  it  as  an  example  of  the  Galician  con¬ 
servative  spirit,  and  of  the  fight  that  was 
made  in  cathedral  chapters  against  the  intro¬ 
duction  of  early  Gothic.  For  the  temple 
at  Santiago  was  Romanesque;  therefore, 
according  to  the  narrow  reasoning  peculiar 
to  Galicia,  that  style  was  the  best  and  con¬ 
sequently  good  enough  for  any  other  church. 
As  a  result,  we  have  in  this  region  of  Spain 
a  series  of  cathedrals  which  are  practically 
Romanesque,  but  into  the  structure  of  which 
ogival  elements  have  filtered.  Further,  as 
there  is  no  existing  example  of  a  finished 
Gothic  church  in  Galicia,  it  is  rather  difficult 
to  speak  of  a  period  of  Transition,  by 
which  is  meant  the  period  of  passing  from 
one  style  to  another.  In  Galicia,  there  was 
no  passing:  the  conservative  spirit  of  the 
country,  the  poetry  of  the  Celtic  inhabitants, 

ioo 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

and  above  all  of  their  artists,  found  greater 
pleasure  in  Romanesque  than  in  Gothic,  and 
consequently  the  cathedrals  are  Romanesque, 
with  slight  Gothic  additions,  when  these 
could  combine  or  submit  in  arrangement  to 
the  heavier  Romanesque  principles  of  archi¬ 
tecture. 

Later,  in  other  centuries,  the  spirit  of 
architecture  had  completely  died  out  in  Spain, 
and  the  additions  made  in  these  days  are  so 
many  lamentable  signs  of  decadence.  Not 
so  the  ogival  introduction  in  Romanesque 
churches,  which  in  many  cases  improved  the 
Romanesque  appearance. 


IOI 


IV 


LUGO 

What  Santiago  was  as  regards  ecclesias¬ 
tical  politics,  Lugo,  one  of  the  three  cities 
on  the  Mino  River,  was  as  regards  civil 
power.  It  was  the  nominal  capital  of  Gali¬ 
cia,  and  at  one  time,  in  the  reign  of  Alfonso 
the  Chaste,  it  was  intended  to  make  it  the 
capital  of  the  nascent  Spanish  kingdom, 
but  for  some  reason  or  other  Oviedo  was 
chosen  instead  as  being  more  suitable.  Since 
then  the  city  of  Lugo  has  completely  fallen 
into  ruins  and  insignificance. 

It  first  appears  in  history  when  the  Ro¬ 
mans  conquered  it  from  the  Celts.  It  was 
their  capital  and  their  Holy  City;  in  its 
centre  was  Lupa’s  Bower,  where  the  Ro¬ 
mans  built  a  magnificent  temple  to  Diana. 
Some  mosaics  of  this  edifice  have  been  dis¬ 
covered  recently,  and  the  peculiar  designs 
prove  beyond  a  doubt  that  the  mythological 
attributions  of  the  Celts  were  made  use  of 


102 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

and  intermingled  with  those  of  the  Latin 
race  —  not  at  all  a  strange  occurrence,  as 
Lupa  and  Diana  seem  to  have  enjoyed  many 
common  qualities. 

Under  the  Roman  rule,  the  city  walls, 
remains  of  which  are  still  standing  in  many 
places,  were  erected,  and  Locus  Augusti 
became  the  capital  of  the  northern  provinces. 

All  through  the  middle  ages,  when  really 
Oviedo  had  usurped  its  civil,  and  Santiago 
its  religious  significance,  Lugo  was  still  con¬ 
sidered  as  being  the  capital  of  Galicia,  a 
stronghold  against  Arab  incursions,  and  a 
hotbed  of  unruly  noblemen  who  lost  no 
opportunity  in  striking  a  blow  for  liberty 
against  the  encroaching  power  of  the  neigh¬ 
bouring  kingdom  of  Asturias,  and  later  on 
of  Leon.  When  at  last  the  central  power 
of  the  Christian  kings  was  firmly  established 
in  Leon  and  Castile,  in  Lugo  the  famous 
message  of  adhesion-  to  the  dynasty  of  the 
Alfonsos  was  voted,  and  the  kingdom  of 
Galicia,  like  that  of  Asturias,  faded  away, 
the  shadow  of  a  name  without  even  the 
right  to  have  its  coat  of  arms  placed  on 
the  national  escutcheon. 

The  ecclesiastical  history  of  the  city  of 
Lugo  is  neither  interesting  nor  does  it  differ 

103 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

from  that  of  other  Galician  towns.  Erected 
to  a  see  in  the  fifth  century,  its  cathedral 
was  a  primitive  basilica  destroyed  by  the 
Moors  in  one  of  their  powerful  northern 
raids  in  the  eighth  century.  The  legendary 
bishop  Odoario  lost  no  time  in  building  a 
second  basilica,  which  met  the  same  fate 
about  two  hundred  years  later,  in  the  tenth 
century.  Alfonso  the  Chaste,  one  of  the 
few  kings  of  Asturias  to  take  a  lively  in¬ 
terest  in  Galician  politics,  ordered  either 
the  reconstruction  of  the  old  basilica  or  the 
erection  of  a  new  temple. 

Those  were  stormy  times  for  the  city: 
between  the  rise  and  stand  of  ambitious 
noblemen,  who,  pretending  to  fight  for  Gali¬ 
cia’s  freedom,  fought  for  their  own  interests, 
and  the  continual  encroachments  of  the 
proud  prelates  on  the  rights  and  privileges 
of  the  people,  barely  a  year  passed  without 
Lugo  being  the  scene  of  street  fights  or 
sieges.  As  in  Santiago,  one  prince  of  the 
Church  lost  his  life,  murdered  by  the  faith¬ 
ful  (  sic )  flocks,  and  many,  upon  com¬ 
ing  to  take  possession  of  their  see,  found 
the  city  gates  locked  in  their  faces,  and 
were  obliged  to  conquer  the  cathedral  be¬ 
fore  entering  their  palace. 

104 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

The  new  basilica  suffered  in  consequence, 
and  had  to  be  entirely  rebuilt  in  the  twelfth 
century.  The  new  edifice  is  the  one  stand¬ 
ing  to-day,  but  how  changed  from  the  primi¬ 
tive  building!  Thanks  to  graceless  addi¬ 
tions  in  all  possible  styles  and  combinations 
of  styles,  the  Romanesque  origin  is  hardly 
recognizable.  Consequently,  the  cathedral 
church  of  Lugo,  which  otherwise  might 
have  been  an  architectural  jewel,  does  not 
inspire  the  visitor  with  any  of  those  senti¬ 
ments  that  ought  to  be  the  very  essence  of 
time-worn  religious  edifices  of  all  kinds. 

The  general  disposition  of  the  church  is 
Roman  cruciform;  the  arms  of  the  cross 
are  exceedingly  short,  however,  in  compari¬ 
son  to  their  height;  the  croisee  is  surmounted 
by  a  semicircular  vaulting  (Spanish  Ro¬ 
manesque)  . 

The  nave  shows  decided  affinity  to  early 
Gothic,  as  shown  by  the  ogival  arches  and 
vaulting.  The  presence  of  the  ogival  arches 
(as  well  as  those  of  the  handsome  tri- 
forium,  perhaps  the  most  elegant  in  Gali¬ 
cia)  shows  this  church  to  be  the  first  in 
Galicia  to  have  submitted  to  the  infiltra¬ 
tion  of  Gothic  elements.  This  peculiarity 
is  explained  by  the  fact  that,  in  1129,  the 

105 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

erection  of  the  cathedral  was  entrusted  to 
one  Maestro  Raimundo,  who  stipulated  that, 
in  the  case  of  his  death  before  the  completion 
of  the  church,  his  son  should  be  commissioned 
to  carry  on  the  work.  He  died,  and  his  son, 
a  generation  younger  and  imbued  with  the 
newer  architectural  theories,  even  went  so 
far  as  to  alter  his  father’s  plans;  he  built 
the  nave  higher  than  was  customary  in  Ro¬ 
manesque  churches,  and  gave  elegance  to  the 
whole  structure  by  employing  the  pointed 
arch  even  in  the  triforium,  otherwise  a  copy 
of  that  of  Santiago. 

The  most  curious  and  impressive  part  of 
the  building  is  that  constructed  by  Maestro 
Raimundo,  father,  namely  the  aisles,  es¬ 
pecially  that  part  of  them  to  the  right  and 
left  of  the  choir;  they  are,  with  the  croisee, 
the  best  interior  remains  of  the  primitive 
Romanesque  plans:  short,  even  stumpy, 
rather  dark  it  is  true,  for  the  light  that 
comes  in  by  the  narrow  windows  is  but 
poor  at  its  best,  they  are,  nevertheless,  rich 
in  decorative  designs.  The  wealth  of  sculp¬ 
tural  ornaments  of  pure  Romanesque  in 
these  aisles  is  perhaps  the  cathedral’s  best 
claim  to  the  tourist’s  admiration,  and  puts 


106 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

it  in  a  prominent  place  among  the  Ro¬ 
manesque  cathedrals  of  Spain. 

Not  the  same  favourable  opinion  can  be 
emitted  when  it  is  a  question  of  the  ex¬ 
terior.  The  towers  are  comparatively  new; 
the  apse  —  with  the  peculiar  and  salient 
addition  of  an  octagonal  body  revealing 
Renaissance  influence  —  is  picturesque,  it  is 
true,  but  at  the  same  time  it  has  spoilt  the 
architectural  value  of  the  cathedral  as  a 
Romanesque  edifice. 

The  northern  fagade,  preceded  by  an  ogi¬ 
val  porch  so  common  in  Galicia,  contains 
a  portal  of  greater  beauty  .than  the  Puerta 
de  la  Plateria  in  Santiago,  and  stands  forth 
in  greater  prominence  than  the  other  named 
example  of  twelfth-century  art,  by  not  be¬ 
ing  lost  among  or  depressed  by  flanking 
bodies  of  greater  height  and  mass.  As  re¬ 
gards  the  sculptural  ornamentation  of  the 
door  itself,  it  is  felt  and  not  only  portrayed: 
the  Christ  standing  between  the  immense 
valves  of  the  vesica  piscis  which  crowns  the 
portal  is  an  example  of  twelfth-century 
sculpture.  The  iron-studded  panels  of  the 
doors  have  already  been  praised  by  Street, 
who  placed  their  execution  likewise  in  the 
twelfth  century. 


107 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Excepting  this  portal  —  a  marvel  in  its 
class  with  its  rounded  tympanum  richly 
ornamented  —  the  portion  of  the  building 
doubtless  more  strongly  imbued  than  any 
other  with  the  general  spirit  of  the  edifice 
is  that  part  of  the  apse  independent  of  the 
octagonal  addition  previously  mentioned, 
and  which  is  dedicated  to  "  ha  Virgen  de 
los  Ojos  Grandes”  —  the  Virgin  of  the 
Large  Eyes.  (She  must  have  been  Anda¬ 
lusian!)  Of  the  true  apse,  the  lower  part 
has  ogival  arched  windows  of  singular  ele¬ 
gance;  the  upper  body,  also  semicircular  in 
form,  but  slightly  smaller,  has  round- 
headed  windows.  Both  the  ogival  win¬ 
dows  of  the  first  and  the  Romanesque  win¬ 
dows  of  the  second  harmonize  wonderfully, 
thanks  to  the  lesser  height  and  width  of  the 
upper  row.  The  buttresses,  simple,  and  yet 
alive  with  a  gently  curving  line,  are  well 
worth  noticing.  It  is  strange,  nevertheless, 
that  they  should  not  reach  the  ground,  but 
only  support  the  upper  body,  and  unite  it 
with  the  lower,  forming  thus  a  sort  of  crown 
for  the  latter’s  benefit. 

Personally  —  and  the  author  must  be  ex¬ 
cused  if  he  emit  his  opinion  —  he  considers 
the  old  apse  of  the  cathedral  in  Lugo  to  be 

10S 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

one  of  the  finest  pieces  of  architecture  to 
be  met  with  in  Galicia.  It  belongs  to  what 
has  been  called  the  period  of  Transition 
(compare  previous  remarks  in  another 
chapter  concerning  this  style),  and  yet  it 
has  a  character  of  its  own  not  to  be  found 
elsewhere,  and  the  harmony  of  ogival  and 
Romanesque  has  been  so  artfully  revealed 
that  it  cannot  fail  to  appeal  to  the  tourist 
who  contemplates  it  carefully. 


109 


V 


ORENSE 

COMING  by  rail  from  Lugo  or  Monforte 
toward  Tuy  and  Vigo,  the  train  suddenly 
escapes  from  the  savage  canon  where  the 
picturesque  Mino  rushes  and  boils  beside 
the  road,  and  emerges  into  a  broad  and 
fertile  valley  where  figs,  grapes,  and  olives 
grow  in  profusion.  This  valley  is  broad, 
its  soil  is  of  golden  hue,  and  the  sky  above  it 
is  as  brilliantly  blue  as  a  sapphire.  In 
its  centre  Orense,  heavy  Orense,  which  claims 
as  its  founder  a  Greek  hero  fresh  from  the 
pages  of  the  Iliad,  basks  in  the  sun  beside  the 
beautiful  Mino;  the  while  its  cathedral 
looms  up  above  the  roofs  of  the  surrounding 
houses. 

The  history  of  the  town  is  as  agitated 
as  any  in  Galicia  and  shows  the  same  gen¬ 
eral  happenings.  The  Romans  appreciated 
it  for  its  sulphur  baths  and  called  it  Auria 
(golden)  from  the  colour  of  the  soil,  of  the 

no 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

water,  and  perhaps  also  on  account  of  cer¬ 
tain  grains  of  gold  discovered  in  the  sands 
of  the  Mino. 

The  Suevos,  who  dominated  Galicia  and 
proved  so  beneficial  to  Tuy,  did  not  ignore 
the  importance  of  Orense:  one  of  the  first 
bishoprics,  if  not  the  first  historical  one  in 
Galicia,  was  that  of  Orense,  dating  from 
before  the  fourth  century,  at  least  such  is  the 
opinion  of  to-day. 

More  than  any  other  Galician  city,  ex¬ 
cepting  Tuy,  it  suffered  from  the  Arab  in¬ 
vasions.  Entirely  destroyed,  razed  to  the 
ground  upon  two  occasions,  it  was  ever 
being  rebuilt  by  the  returning  inhabitants 
who  had  fled.  Previous  to  these  Arab  in¬ 
cursions  the  cathedral  had  been  dedicated 
to  St.  Martin  de  Tours  (France),  and 
yearly  pilgrimages  took  place  to  the  Gali¬ 
cian  shrine,  where  some  relics  belonging  to 
the  saint  were  revered.  But  with  the  in¬ 
fidels  these  relics,  or  whatever  they  were, 
were  dispersed,  and  the  next  century  (the 
eleventh)  saw  the  new  cathedral  dedicated 
to  the  Virgin  Mother  (?).  Besides,  the  in¬ 
habitants  seemed  to  have  forgotten  the  pat¬ 
ronage  of  St.  Martin,  he  who  protects  the 
vine-grower’s  metier — and  this  in  spite  of 

1 1 1 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

the  fact  that  the  valley  of  Orense  is  and  was 
famous  above  all  Galician  regions  for  the 
cultivation  of  vines.  Even  Froissart,  the 
French  historian,  could  not  speak  of  the  town 
without  mentioning  its  wine.  He  passed  a 
season  in  the  valley,  accompanying,  I  believe, 
the  Duke  of  Lancaster  and  his  English  sol¬ 
diers.  The  wine  was  so  good  and  strong, 
wrote  the  historian,  that  the  soldiers  clam¬ 
oured  for  it;  after  they  had  drunk  a  little 
they  toppled  over  like  ninepins. 

The  Arabs  defeated  and  thrown  out  of 
the  peninsula,  the  vikings’  last  business  trip 
to  Galicia  over,  and  the  Portuguese  arms 
driven  to  the  valley  of  Braga  beyond  the 
Mino,  Orense  settled  down  to  a  peaceful  life, 
the  monotony  of  which  was  broken  now  and 
again  —  as  it  usually  was  in  this  part  of  the 
country  —  by  squabbles  between  noblemen, 
prelates,  and  the  bons  bourgeois.  If  no 
prince  of  the  Church  was  killed  here,  as  hap¬ 
pened  in  Lugo,  one  at  least  died  mysteriously 
in  the  hands  of  his  enemies.  Not  that  it 
seemed  to  have  mattered  much,  for  said 
bishop  appears  to  have  been  a  peculiar  sort 
of  spiritual  shepherd,  full  of  vice,  and  devoid 
of  virtue,  some  of  whose  doings  have  been 
caricatured  —  according  to  the  popular  be- 

1 12 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

lief  —  in  the  cornices  and  friezes  of  the  con¬ 
vent  of  San  Francisco. 

Otherwise,  peace  reigned  in  the  land,  and 
Orense  passed  a  quiet  existence,  a  circum¬ 
stance  that  did  not  in  the  slightest  add  to 
its  importance,  either  as  an  art,  commercial, 
or  industrial  centre.  To-day,  full  of  stran¬ 
gers  in  summer,  who  visit  the  sulphurous 
baths  as  did  the  Romans,  and  empty  in  win¬ 
ter,  it  exists  without  living,  as  does  so  many 
a  Spanish  town. 

Nevertheless,  with  Vigo  and  Corunna,  it 
is  one  of  the  cities  with  a  future  still  be¬ 
fore  it.  At  least,  its  situation  is  bound  to 
call  attention  as  soon  as  ever  the  country 
is  opened  up  to  progress  and  commerce. 

The  cathedral  of  Orense,  like  those  of 
Tuy,  Santiago,  and  Lugo,  was  erected  in  a 
castro.  These  castros  were  circular  dips  in 
the  ground,  surrounded  by  a  low  wall,  which 
served  the  druids  as  their  place  of  worship. 
The  erection  of  Christian  churches  in  these 
sacred  spots  proves  beyond  a  doubt  that 
the  new  religion  became  amalgamated  with 
the  old,  and  even  laid  its  foundations  on  the 
latter’s  most  hallowed  castros. 

Perhaps  the  question  presents  itself  as  to 
why  a  cathedral  was  erected  in  Orense  pre- 

”3 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

vious  to  any  other  city.  From  a  legend 
it  would  appear  that  the  king  of  the  Suevos, 
Carrarick,  had  a  son  who  was  dying;  thanks 
to  the  advice  of  a  Christian  monk,  a  dis¬ 
ciple  of  St.  Martin,  and,  one  is  inclined 
to  think,  fresh  from  Tours,  the  king  dipped 
his  son  in  the  baths  of  Orense,  invoking 
at  the  same  time  the  help  of  St.  Martin. 
Upon  pulling  his  offspring  out  of  the  water, 
he  discovered  that  he  had  been  miraculously 
cured.  The  grateful  monarch  immediately 
became  a  stout  Christian,  and  erected  a 
basilica  —  destroyed  and  rebuilt  many  a 
time  during  the  dark  ages  of  feudalism  and 
Arab  invasion  —  in  honour  of  his  son’s  sa¬ 
viour.  What  is  more  wonderful  still  is  that, 
soon  afterward,  the  relics  of  the  French 
saint  were  cherished  in  Orense  without  its 
being  positively  known  whence  they  came! 

The  present  cathedral,  the  date  of  the 
erection  of  which  is  a  point  of  discussion 
to-day,  is  generally  believed  to  have  been 
built  on  the  spot  occupied  by  the  primitive 
basilica.  It  is  dedicated  to  Santa  Maria  la 
Madre  according  to  the  official  (doubtful?) 
statement,  and  to  St.  Martin  of  Tours, 
Apostle  of  Gaul,  according  to  the  popular 
version. 

114 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

The  general  appearance  of  the  cathedral 
proclaims  it  to  have  been  begun,  or  at  least 
planned,  in  the  twelfth  century,  and  not,  as 
Baedeker  states,  in  1220.  As  a  twelfth-cen¬ 
tury  church  we  are  not  obliged  to  consider 
it  for  more  reasons  than  one,  and  especially 
because,  as  we  have  seen,  the  twelfth  cen¬ 
tury  was  the  great  period  of  Galician  church¬ 
building.  It  was  in  this  century  that  the 
northwest  shone  forth  in  the  history  of 
Spain  as  it  had  not  done  before,  nor  has 
done  since. 

The  church  is  another  Romanesque  speci¬ 
men,  but  less  pure  in  its  style  than  any  of 
the  others  mentioned  so  far:  the  ogival 
arch  is  prevalent,  but  rather  as  a  decorative 
than  as  an  essentially  constructive  element. 
As  it  is,  it  was  commenced  at  least  fifty 
years  after  the  cathedral  of  Lugo,  and  though 
both  are  twelfth-century  churches,  the  one  is 
an  early  and  the  other  presumably  a  late 
one;  the  employment  of  the  ogival  arch  to 
a  greater  degree  in  Orense  than  in  Lugo  is 
thus  easily  explained. 

In  short,  the  cathedral  of  Orense  is  an¬ 
other  example  of  the  peculiar  Romanesque 
of  Galicia,  which,  withstanding  the  invasion 
of  Gothic,  created  a  school  of  its  own,  pretty 

1 15 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

in  details,  bold  in  harmony,  though  it  be  a 
hybrid  school  after  all. 

The  influence  of  the  cathedral  of  Santiago 
is  self-evident  in  the  cathedral  of  Orense. 
How  could  it  be  otherwise,  when  the  bishop 
Don  Diego,  who  sat  on  the  chair,  was  a 
great  friend  and  a  continual  visitor  of  that 
other  Don  Diego  in  Santiago  who  erected 
the  primate  cathedral  of  Galicia? 

This  influence  is  above  all  to  be  seen  in 
the  Portico  del  Paraiso,  an  interior  narthex 
leading  from  the  western  front  to  the  body  of 
the  church.  It  is  a  handsome  area  of  Roman¬ 
esque  sculpture  covered  by  an  ogival  vault¬ 
ing,  and  would  be  an  important  monument 
if  its  rival  and  prototype  in  Santiago  were 
not  greater,  both  as  regards  its  perfection  of 
design,  and  the  grand  idea  which  inspired  it. 

Of  the  three  doors  which  lead  into  the 
cathedral,  the  western  is  crowned  by  three 
rounded  arches  reposing  on  simple  columns. 
The  tympanum  as  a  decorative  element  is 
lacking,  as  is  also  the  low  relief,  which  is 
usually  superimposed  above  the  upper  arches. 
The  latter  are,  however,  carved  in  the  most 
elaborate  manner.  As  regards  the  other  two 
portals,  the  northern  and  southern,  their  com¬ 
position,  as  far  as  generalities  are  concerned, 

1 16 


ORTHERN  PORTAL 
OF  ORENSE  CATHEDRAL 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

is  the  same  as  the  western,  excepting  that 
they  are  surrounded  by  a  depressed  semi¬ 
circular  arch  in  relief,  the  whole  of  a  primi¬ 
tive  design. 

The  towers  of  the  cathedral  are  not  old. 
The  general  impression  of  the  building  from 
the  outside  —  unluckily  it  cannot  be  contem¬ 
plated  from  any  distance,  as  the  surrounding 
houses  impede  it  —  is  agreeable.  To  be  es¬ 
pecially  observed  are  some  fine  fourteenth- 
century  (?)  windows  which  show  ogival  pat¬ 
tern,  but  either  of  timid  execution  or  else 
of  a  bold  endeavour  on  the  artist’s  part  to 
subdue  solemn  Gothic  to  the  Romanesque 
traditions  of  the  country. 

The  interior  has  been  restored  and  changed 
many  a  time.  In  its  original  plan  it  con¬ 
sisted  of  two  aisles  and  a  nave  with  a  one- 
aisled  transept,  and,  just  as  in  Lugo,  an  apse 
formed  by  three  semicircles,  of  which  the 
central  was  the  largest,  and  contained  the 
high  altar.  To-day,  though  the  general  ap¬ 
pearance  or  disposition  of  the  church  (Ro¬ 
man  cruciform  with  exceedingly  short  lateral 
arms)  is  the  same,  an  ambulatory  walk  sur¬ 
rounds  the  high  altar,  which  has  been  moved 
nearer  the  transept  in  the  principal  nave. 
The  vaulting  is  ogival,  reposing  on  solid  and 

117 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


severe  shafts;  the  aisles  are  slightly  lower 
than  the  central  nave,  and  the  croisee  is  sur¬ 
mounted,  as  in  Santiago,  by  a  handsome 
cupola  similar  in  construction  to  that  of  Va¬ 
lencia,  though  more  reduced  in  size,  and  of 
a  less  elegant  pattern. 

The  lack  of  triforium  is  to  be  noted,  and 
its  want  is  felt. 

The  northern  aisle  has  no  chapels  let  into 
its  exterior  wall,  but  a  long  row  of  sepul¬ 
chres  and  sepulchral  reliefs  to  replace  them. 
Some  of  them  are  severe  and  beautiful.  The 
choir  has  finely  carved  stalls,  and  the  Gothic 
retablo  is  the  only  one  of  its  kind  in  Galicia, 
and  one  of  the  best  in  Spain. 

Many  more  details  could  be  given  con¬ 
cerning  the  worthy  cathedral  of  Orense, 
second  only  in  richness  of  certain  elements 
to  that  of  Santiago.  The  additions,  both  in 
Romanesque  and  ogival  styles,  are  better  than 
in  most  other  cathedrals  in  Galicia,  though, 
as  far  as  Renaissance  is  concerned,  Galicia 
showed  but  little  love  for  Italia’s  art.  This 
was  due  to  the  regional  Celtic  taste  of  the 
inhabitants,  or  else  to  the  marked  signs  of 
art  decadence  in  this  part  of  Spain,  when 
the  Renaissance  was  introduced  into  the 
country. 

1 18 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


As  regards  the  cloister,  —  small  and  rather 
compact  in  its  composition,  —  it  is  held  by 
many  to  be  a  jewel  of  the  fifteenth  century 
in  the  ogival  style,  handsome  in  its  general 
outlines,  and  beautiful  in  its  wealth  of  sculp¬ 
tural  decoration. 


VI 


TUY 

The  last  Spanish  city  on  the  Mino,  the 
Rhine  of  Galicia,  as  beautiful  as  its  Ger¬ 
man  rival,  and  as  rich  in  architectural  re¬ 
mains,  both  military  and  ecclesiastical,  is 
Tuy,  the  Castellum  Tude  of  the  Romans, 
lying  half-way  on  the  main  road  from  Braga 
(Portugal)  to  Lugo  and  Astorga  in  Spain. 

The  approach  to  the  city  by  rail  from 
Orense  is  simply  superb.  The  valley  of  the 
Mino  is  broad  and  luxuriant,  with  ruins  of 
castles  to  the  right  and  to  the  left,  ahead 
and  behind;  in  the  distance,  time-old  Tuy, 
the  city  of  a  hundred  misfortunes,  is  seated 
on  an  isolated  hill,  the  summit  of  which  is 
crowned  by  a  fortress-cathedral  of  the  twelfth 
century. 

Tuy  sits  on  her  hill,  and  gazes  across  the 
river  at  Valencia  do  Minho,  the  rival  fortress 
opposite,  and  the  first  town  in  Portugal.  A 
handsome  bridge  unites  the  enemies  — 

1 20 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

friends  to-day.  Nevertheless,  the  cannons’ 
mouths  of  the  glaring  strongholds  are  for 
ever  pointed  toward  each  other,  as  though 
wishing  to  recall  those  days  of  the  middle 
ages  when  Tuy  was  the  goal  of  Portuguese 
ambitions  and  the  last  Spanish  town  in  Gali¬ 
cia. 

Before  the  Romans  conquered  Iberia, 
Tuy,  which  is  evidently  a  Celtic  name,  was 
a  most  important  town.  This  is  easily  ex¬ 
plained  by  its  position,  a  sort  of  inland 
Gibraltar,  backed  by  the  Sierra  to  the  rear, 
and  crowning  the  river  which  brought  ships 
from  the  ocean  to  its  wharves.  The  city’s 
future  was  brilliant. 

Matters  changed  soon,  however.  The 
Romans  drew  away  much  of  its  power  to 
cities  further  inland,  as  was  their  wont.  The 
castle  remained  standing,  as  did  the  wralls, 
wrhich  reached  on  the  northern  shores  of  the 
river  down  to  Guardia,  situated  in  the  delta 
about  thirty  miles  away.  Remains  of  the 
cyclopean  wralls  which  crown  the  mountain 
chain  on  the  Spanish  side  of  the  Mino  are 
still  to  be  seen  to-day,  yet  they  give  but  a 
feeble  idea  of  the  city’s  former  strength. 

After  the  Romans  had  been  defeated  by 
the  invasion  of  savage  tribes  from  the  north, 

I  2  T 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Tuy  became  the  capital  of  the  Suevos,  a  tribe 
opposed  to  the  Visigoths,  who  settled  in  the 
rest  of  Spain,  and  for  centuries  waged  a 
cruel  war  against  the  kings  whose  subjects 
had  settled  principally  in  Galicia  and  in  the 
north  of  Portugal. 

The  power  of  the  Suevos,  who  were  seated 
firmly  in  Tuy,  was  at  last  completely  broken, 
and  the  capital,  its  inhabitants  fighting  en¬ 
ergetically  to  the  end,  was  at  length  con¬ 
quered.  It  was  the  last  stronghold  to  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  conquerors.  A  cen¬ 
tury  later  Witiza,  the  sovereign  of  the  Visi¬ 
goths,  made  Tuy  his  capital  for  some  length 
of  time,  and  the  district  round  about  is  full 
of  the  traditions  of  the  doings  of  this  mon¬ 
arch.  Most  of  these  legends  denigrate  his 
character,  and  make  him  appear  cruel,  wil¬ 
ful,  and  false.  One  of  them,  concerning 
Duke  Favila  and  Doha  Luz,  is  perhaps  the 
most  popular.  According  to  it,  Witiza  fell 
in  love  with  the  former’s  wife,  Doha  Luz, 
and,  to  remove  the  husband,  he  heartlessly 
had  his  eyes  put  out,  on  the  charge  of  being 
ambitious,  and  of  having  conspired  against 
the  throne.  The  fate  that  awaited  Doha 
Luz,  who  defended  her  honour,  was  no  bet¬ 
ter,  according  to  this  legend. 

I  22 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

After  the  return  of  Witiza  to  Toledo,  the 
city  slowly  lost  its  importance,  and  since 
then  she  has  never  recovered  her  ancient 
fame. 

Like  the  remaining  seaports  of  Galicia,  — 
or  such  cities  as  were  situated  near  the 
ocean,  —  Tuy  was  sacked  and  pillaged  by 
Arabs  and  vikings  alike.  The  times  were 
extremely  warlike,  and  Galicia,  from  her 
position,  and  on  account  of  the  independent 
spirit  of  the  noblemen,  was  called  upon  to 
suffer  more  than  any  other  region,  and  Tuy, 
near  the  ocean,  and  a  frontier  town  to  boot, 
underwent  greater  hardships  than  any  other 
Galician  city.  Of  an  admirable  natural  po¬ 
sition,  it  would  have  been  able  to  resist  the 
attacks  of  Gudroed  and  Olaf,  of  the  Portu¬ 
guese  noblemen  and  of  Arab  armies,  had 
it  been  but  decently  fortified.  The  lack  of 
such  fortifications,  however,  and  the  neglect 
and  indifference  with  which  it  was,  as  a  rule, 
regarded  by  the  kings  of  Asturias,  easily 
account  for  its  having  fallen  into  the  hands 
of  enemies,  of  having  been  razed  more  than 
once  to  the  ground,  of  having  been  the  seat 
of  ambitious  and  conspiring  noblemen  who 
were  only  bent  on  thrashing  their  neigh¬ 
bours,  Christians  and  infidels  alike. 

123 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

In  the  sixth  century  Tuy  had  already  been 
raised  to  the  dignity  of  a  city,  but  until  after 
the  eleventh  century  the  prelates  of  the  church, 
tyrants  when  the  times  were  propitious,  but 
cowardly  when  danger  was  at  hand,  were 
continually  removing  their  see  to  the  neigh¬ 
bouring  villages  and  mountains  to  the  rear. 
They  left  their  church  with  surprising  alac¬ 
rity  and  ease  to  the  mercy  of  warriors  and 
enemies,  to  such  an  extent,  in  fact,  that  neither 
are  documents  at  hand  to  tell  us  what  hap¬ 
pened  exactly  in  the  darker  ages  of  mediaeval 
history,  nor  are  the  existing  monuments  in 
themselves  sufficient  to  convince  us  of  the 
vicissitudes  which  befell  the  city,  its  see,  and 
the  latter’s  flocks. 

Since  the  last  Arab  and  Norseman  raid, 
matters  seemed  to  have  gone  better  with 
fair  Tuy,  for,  excepting  the  continual  strife 
between  Portuguese  and  Galician  noblemen, 
who  were  for  ever  gaining  and  losing  the 
city  on  the  Miho,  neither  infidels  nor  pi¬ 
rates  visited  its  wharves.  It  was  then  that 
the  foundations  of  the  present  cathedral  were 
laid,  but  not  without  disputes  between  the 
prelates  (one  of  whom  was  taken  prisoner, 
and  had  to  give  a  handsome  ransom  to  be 
released)  and  the  noblemen  who  called  them- 

124 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

selves  seigneurs  of  the  city.  Between  the 
claims  and  struggles  of  these  two  factions, 
those  who  suffered  most  were  the  citizens 
themselves,  who  had  nothing  to  gain  and 
everything  to  lose.  Between  the  bishops  who 
pretended  to  possess  the  whole  city,  and  the 
noblemen  who  endeavoured  to  leave  the  prel¬ 
ates  without  a  groat,  the  ignored  inhabitants 
of  the  poorer  quarters  of  the  town  passed  a 
miserable  life. 

Since  the  middle  ages,  or  better  still,  since 
the  time  when  the  Mino  became  definitely 
the  frontier  line  between  Spain  and  Por¬ 
tugal,  the  city  of  Tuy  has  been  heard  of  but 
little.  Few  art  students  visit  it  to-day,  and 
yet  it  is  one  of  the  most  picturesquely  situ¬ 
ated  cities  in  Galicia,  or  even  in  Spain.  Its 
cathedral,  as  well  as  the  Pre-Roman,  Roman, 
Gothic,  and  middle  age  remains,  —  most  of 
them  covered  over  with  heaps  of  dust  and 
earth,  —  are  well  worth  a  visit,  being  highly 
interesting  both  to  artists  and  to  archaeological 
students. 

In  short,  Tuy  on  her  hill  beside  the  Mino, 
glaring  across  an  iron  bridge  at  Portugal,  is 
a  city  rich  in  traditions  and  legends  of  faded 
hopes  and  past  glories.  Unluckily  for  her, 


125 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

cities  of  less  historical  fame  are  better  known 
and  more  admired. 

As  has  already  been  mentioned,  the  cathe¬ 
dral  crowns  the  hill,  upon  the  slopes  of  which 
the  city  descends  to  the  river;  moreover,  the 
edifice  occupies  the  summit  only,  —  a  castro, 
as  explained  in  a  previous  chapter.  There¬ 
fore,  for  proofs  are  lacking  both  ways,  it  is 
probable  that  the  present  building  was 
erected  on  the  same  spot  where  the  many 
basilicas  which  we  know  existed  and  were  des¬ 
troyed  in  one  or  another  of  the  many  sieges, 
stood  in  bygone  days. 

The  present  cathedral  dedicated  to  the  Vir¬ 
gin  Mary,  like  that  in  Orense,  was  most 
likely  begun  in  the  first  half  of  the  twelfth 
century;  successive  earthquakes  suffered  by 
the  city,  especially  that  felt  in  Lisbon  in  1755, 
obliged  the  edifice  to  be  repaired  more  than 
once,  which  accounts  for  many  of  the  base  ad¬ 
ditions  which  spoil  the  ensemble. 

From  the  general  disposition  of  the  build¬ 
ing,  which  is  similar  in  many  details  to  the 
cathedral  at  Lugo,  it  has  been  thought  prob¬ 
able  that  Maestro  Raimundo  (father?)  was 
the  builder  of  the  church;  definite  proofs 
are,  however,  lacking. 

The  ground-plan  is  rectangular,  with  a 
126 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

square  apse;  the  interior  is  Roman  cruciform, 
consisting  of  a  nave  and  two  aisles;  the  tran¬ 
sept,  like  that  of  Santiago,  is  also  composed 
of  a  nave  and  two  aisles ;  the  four  arms 
of  the  cross  are  all  of  them  very  short,  and 
almost  all  are  of  the  same  length.  Were  it 
not  for  the  height  of  the  nave,  crowned  by 
a  Romanesque  triforium  of  blinded  arches, 
the  interior  would  be  decidedly  ugly.  How¬ 
ever,  the  height  attained  gives  a  noble  aspect 
to-  the  whole,  and  what  is  more,  renders  the 
ensemble  curious  rather  than  beautiful. 

The  large  and  ungainly  choir  spoils  the 
general  view  of  the  nave,  whereas  the  con¬ 
tinuation  of  the  aisles,  broad  and  light  to  the 
very  apse,  where,  facing  each  aisle,  there 
is  a  handsome  rose  window  which  throws  a 
flood  of  coloured  light  into  the  building, 
cannot  be  too  highly  praised. 

The  walls  are  devoid  of  all  decoration, 
and  if  it  were  not  for  the  chapels,  some  of 
which  in  default  of  pure  workmanship  are 
richly  ornamented,  this  see  of  Tuy  would 
have  to  pass  as  a  very  poor  one  indeed. 

The  roof  of  the  building  has  been  added 
lately,  doubtless  after  one  of  the  many  earth¬ 
quakes.  It  is  of  a  simple  execution,  neither 
good  nor  bad,  composed  of  a  series  of 

127 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

slightly  rounded  arches  with  pronounced 
ribs. 

It  is  outside,  however,  that  the  tourist  will 
pass  the  greater  part  of  his  time.  Unluckily, 
the  houses  which  closely  surround  the  build¬ 
ing  forbid  a  general  view  from  being  ob¬ 
tained  of  any  but  the  western  front,  yet  this 
is  perhaps  a  blessing,  for  none  of  the  other 
sides  are  worthy  of  special  notice. 

As  mentioned,  the  appearance  of  the 
church  is  that  of  a  fortress  rather  than  of  a 
temple,  or  better  still,  is  that  of  a  feudal  cas¬ 
tle.  The  crenelated  square  tower  on  the 
western  front  is  heavy,  and  no  higher  than 
the  peaked  and  simple  crowning  of  the  hand¬ 
some  Romanesque  window  above  the  nar- 
thex;  the  general  impression  is  that  of  re¬ 
sistance  rather  than  of  faith,  and  the  lack  of 
all  decoration  has  caused  the  temple  to  be 
called  sombre. 

The  handsome  narthex,  the  summit  of 
which  is  crenelated  like  the  tower,  is  the 
simplest  and  noblest  to  be  found  in  Galicia, 
and  is  really  beautiful  in  its  original  se¬ 
verity.  Though  dating  from  a  time  when 
florid  ogival  had  taken  possession  of  Spain, 
the  artist  who  erected  it  (it  is  posterior  to 
the  rest  of  the  building  —  early  fifteenth  cen- 

128 


Tuy 

CATHEDRAL 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

tury)  had  the  good  taste  to  complete  it 
simply,  without  decoration,  so  as  to  render 
it  homogeneous  with  the  rest  of  the  build¬ 
ing.  It  is  also  possible  that  there  were  no 
funds  at  hand  for  him  to  erect  it  otherwise! 

The  doors  stand  immediately  behind  this 
narthex.  The  portal  is  carved  or  decorated 
in  an  elaborate  late  Romanesque  style,  one 
of  the  most  richly  ornamented  porticos  be¬ 
longing  to  this  school  in  Spain,  and  a  hand¬ 
some  page  in  the  history  of  Galician  art  in 
the  twelfth  century.  The  low  reliefs  above 
the  door  and  in  the  tympanum  of  the  richly 
carved  arcade,  are  felt  and  are  admirably 
executed. 

The  northern  entrance  to  the  building  is 
another  fine  example  of  twelfth-century 
Spanish,  or  Galician  Romanesque.  Though 
simpler  in  execution  than  the  western  front, 
it  nevertheless  is  by  some  critics  consid¬ 
ered  purer  in  style  (earlier?)  than  the  first 
mentioned. 

The  tower  which  stands  to  the  left  of  the 
northern  entrance  is  one  of  the  few  in  the 
Romanesque  style  to  be  seen  in  northern 
Spain;  it  is  severe  in  its  structure  and  pierced 
by  a  series  of  round-headed  windows. 

The  cloister  dating  from  the  fourteenth 
1 29 


The  Cathedrals  of  Novthern  Spain 

and  fifteenth  centuries  is  another  of  Galicia’s 
monuments  well  worth  a  visit,  which  proves 
the  local  mixture  of  Romanesque  and  ogival, 
and  is,  perhaps,  the  last  example  on  record, 
as  toward  the  fifteenth  century  Renaissance 
elements  had  completely  captured  all  art 
monuments. 

Such  is  the  cathedral  of  Tuy,  a  unique 
example  of  Galician  Romanesque  in  certain 
details,  an  edifice  that  really  ought  to  be 
better  known  than  it  is. 


130 


VII 


BAYONA  AND  VIGO 

The  prettiest  bay  in  Galicia  is  that  of 
Vigo,  which  reaches  inland  to  Redondela  — 
a  village  seated,  as  it  were,  on  a  Swiss  lake, 
with  two  immense  viaducts  passing  over  its 
head  where  the  train  speeds  to  Tuy  and 
Santiago.  There  is  no  lovelier  spot  in  all 
Spain. 

The  city  of  Vigo,  with  its  suffragan  church 
on  the  hillside,  is  a  modern  town  dedicated 
to  commerce;  its  wharves  are  important, 
and  the  water  in  the  bay  is  deep  enough 
to  permit  the  largest  vessels  afloat  to  enter 
and  anchor.  The  art  student  will  not  linger 
here,  however,  but  will  go  by  boat  to  Bay- 
ona  outside  the  bay  and  to  the  south  near 
the  Portuguese  frontier. 

Here,  until  quite  recently,  stood  for  an 
unknown  length  of  time  the  suffragan  church 
which  has  now  been  removed  to  Vigo.  But 
Bayona,  once  upon  a  time  the  most  impor- 

131 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

tant  seaport  in  Galicia,  is  a  ruin  to-day,  a 
delightful  ruin,  and  one  of  the  prettiest  in 
its  ensemble,  thanks  to  the  beautiful  and 
weird  surroundings. 

Its  history  extends  from  the  times  of  the 
Phoenicians,  Greeks,  and  Romans,  —  even 
earlier,  as  remains  of  lake-dwellers  have 
been  found.  This  statement  is  not  an  ex¬ 
aggeration,  though  it  may  appear  to  be  one, 
for  the  bay  is  as  quiet  as  a  lake. 

After  the  defeat  of  the  Armada,  Bayona 
was  left  a  prey  to  Drake  and  his  worthy 
companions.  They  dealt  the  city  a  death¬ 
blow  from  which  it  has  never  recovered, 
and  Vigo,  the  new,  the  commercial,  has 
usurped  its  importance,  as  it  did  its  church, 
which  once  upon  a  time,  as  is  generally  be¬ 
lieved,  was  a  bishopric. 

The  present  ruinous  edifice  of  Bayona  is 
peculiarly  Galician  and  shows  the  same 
characteristics  as  the  remaining  cathedrals 
we  have  spoken  about  so  far.  It  was  or¬ 
dained  in  1482  by  the  Bishop  of  Tuy.  The 
windows  of  the  nave  (clerestory)  are  de¬ 
cidedly  pointed  or  ogival;  those  of  the  aisles 
are  pure  Romanesque.  The  peculiar  feature 
is  the  use  of  animal  designs  in  the  decorative 
elements  of  the  capitals,  —  a  unique  example 

132 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

in  Galicia,  where  only  floral  or  leaf  motives 
were  used  in  the  best  period  of  Romanesque. 
The  design  to  be  noticed  here  on  one  of  the 
capitals  is  a  bird  devouring  a  toad,  and  it 
is  so  crudely  and  rustically  carved  that  one 
is  almost  inclined  to  believe  that  a  native  of 
the  country  conceived  and  executed  it. 


133 


PART  III 
The  North 


I 


OVIEDO 

“  OVIEDO  was  born  of  a  religious  inspira¬ 
tion;  its  first  building  was  a  temple  (mon¬ 
astery?),  and  monks  were  its  first  inhabi¬ 
tants.” 

In  the  valley  adjoining  Cangas,  in  the 
eighth  century,  the  most  important  village 
in  Asturias,  a  religious  sect  erected  a  monas¬ 
tery.  Froila  or  Froela,  one  of  the  early  noble¬ 
men  (now  called  a  king,  though  he  was  no 
king  in  those  days)  who  fought  against  the 
Moors,  erected  in  the  same  century  a  church 
in  the  vicinity  of  Cangas  (in  Oviedo?), 
dedicating  it  to  the  Saviour;  he  also  built 
a  palace  near  the  same  spot.  His  son,  Al¬ 
fonso  the  Chaste,  born  in  this  palace,  was 
brought  up  in  a  convent  near  Lugo  in  Gali¬ 
cia.  Upon  becoming  king  he  hesitated 
whether  to  establish  his  court  in  Lugo,  or  in 
the  new  village  which  had  been  his  birth¬ 
place,  namely  Oviedo.  At  length,  remem- 

137 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

bering  perhaps  his  father’s  love  for  the 
country  near  Cangas,  he  established  it  in 
the  latter  place  in  the  ninth  century,  and 
formed  the  kingdom  of  Asturias  as  opposed 
to  that  of  Galicia;  the  capital  of  the  new 
kingdom  was  Oviedo. 

“  The  king  gave  the  city  to  the  Saviour 
and  to  the  venerable  church  built  by  his 
father,  and  which,  like  a  sun  surrounded  by 
its  planets,  he  placed  within  a  circle  of  other 
temples. 

“  He  convocated  an  ecclesiastical  council 
with  a  view  to  establish  a  primate  see  in 
Oviedo;  he  maintained  an  assembly  of  prel¬ 
ates  who  lent  lustre  to  the  church,  and  he 
gave  each  a  particular  residence;  the  spirit¬ 
ual  splendour  of  Oviedo  eclipsed  even  the 
brilliancy  of  the  throne.” 

This  was  in  812,  and  the  first  bishop  con¬ 
secrated  was  one  Adulfo. 

The  subsequent  reign  of  Alfonso  was  sig¬ 
nalized  by  the  discovery  in  Galicia  of  the 
corpse  of  St.  James  the  Apostle.  The  sov¬ 
ereign,  it  appears,  showed  great  interest  in 
the  discovery,  established  a  church  on  the 
sacred  spot,  and  generously  donated  the 
nascent  town.  Not  without  reason  did  pos- 


138 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

terity  celebrate  his  many  Christian  virtues 
by  calling  him  the  Chaste,  el  Casio. 

Two  hundred  years  only  did  Oviedo  play 
an  important  part  in  the  history  of  Spain 
as  capital  of  the  Christian  Kingdom.  In 
1020  its  civil  dignities  were  removed  by 
Alfonso  V.  to  Leon  in  the  south.  From  then 
on  the  city  remained  important  only  as  the 
alleged  cradle  of  the  new  dynasty,  and  its 
church  —  that  of  the  Salvador  —  was  used 
as  the  pantheon  of  the  kings. 

In  the  twelfth  century  the  basilica  was  in 
a  ruinous  state,  and  almost  completely  des¬ 
troyed.  The  fate  of  the  Romanesque  edifice 
which  was  then  built  was  as  short  as  the  city’s 
glory  had  been  ephemeral,  for  in  1380  it  was 
destroyed  by  flames,  and  in  its  place  the  first 
stone  of  the  present  building  was  laid  by 
one  Bishop  Gutierre.  One  hundred  and  sev¬ 
enty  years  later  the  then  reigning  prelate 
placed  his  coat  of  arms  on  the  spire,  and  the 
Gothic  monument  which  is  to-day  -admired 
by  all  who  visit  it  was  completed. 

The  history  of  the  city  —  an  ecclesiastical 
and  civil  metropolis  —  is  devoid  of  interest 
since  the  tenth  century.  It  was  as  though  the 
streets  were  too  crowded  with  the  legends 
of  the  fictitious  kingdom  of  Asturias,  to  be 

139 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

enabled  to  shake  off  the  depression  which 
little  by  little  spread  over  the  whole  town. 

Apart  from  its  cathedral,  Oviedo  and  the 
surrounding  country  possesses  many  of  the 
earliest  religious  monuments  in  Spain,  dating 
from  the  eighth  century.  These,  on  account 
of  their  primary  Romanesque  and  basilica 
style,  form  a  chapter  apart  in  the  history  of 
ecclesiastical  architecture,  and  ought  to  be 
thoroughly  studied.  This  is  not  the  place, 
however,  to  speak  about  them,  in  spite  of  their 
extreme  age  and  the  great  interest  they 
awaken. 

Nothing  could  be  more  graceful  than  the 
famous  tower  of  the  cathedral  of  Oviedo, 
which  is  a  superb  Gothic  fleche  of  well-pro¬ 
portioned  elements,  and  literally  covered 
over  and  encrusted  with  tiny  pinnacles.  Slen¬ 
der  and  tapering,  it  rises  to  a  height  of  about 
280  feet.  It  is  composed  of  five  distinct 
bodies,  of  which  the  penultimate  betrays 
certain  Renaissance  influences  in  the  triangu^ 
lar  cornices  of  the  windows,  etc.;  this  passes, 
however,  entirely  unperceived  from  a  cer¬ 
tain  distance.  The  angles  formed  by  the 
sides  of  the  tower  are  flanked  by  a  pair  of 
slender  shafts  in  high  relief,  which  tend  to 


140 


■ 


/ 


Oviedo 

CATHEDRAL 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

give  it  an  even  more  majestic  impression  than 
would  be  the  case  without  them. 

The  cathedral  itself  is  a  late  ogival  build¬ 
ing  belonging  to  the  fifteenth  century;  though 
it  cannot  compare  in  fairylike  beauty  with 
that  of  Leon,  nor  in  majesty  with  that  of 
Burgos,  it  is  nevertheless  one  of  the  richest 
Gothic  structures  in  Spain,  especially  as  re¬ 
gards  the  decoration  of  the  interior. 

The  western  front  is  entirely  taken  up  by 
the  triple  portal,  surmounted  by  arches  that 
prove  a  certain  reluctance  on  the  builder’s 
part  to  make  them  pointed;  the  northern 
extremity  of  the  front  is  devoid  of  a  tower, 
though  the  base  be  standing.  It  was  orig¬ 
inally  intended  to  erect  a  second  fleche  sim¬ 
ilar  to  the  one  described,  but  for  some  reason 
or  other  —  without  a  doubt  purely  financial 
—  it  was  never  built. 

Of  the  three  portals,  that  which  corre¬ 
sponds  to  the  central  nave  is  the  larger;  it 
is  flanked  by  the  only  two  statuettes  in  the 
whole  front,  namely,  by  those  of  Alfonso  the 
Chaste  and  Froela,  and  is  surmounted  by  a 
bold  low  relief.  The  arches  of  the  three 
doors  are  richly  carved  with  ogival  ara¬ 
besques,  and  the  panels,  though  more  modern, 
have  been  wrought  by  the  hand  of  a  master. 

141 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Taken  all  in  all,  this  western  front  can 
be  counted  among  the  most  sombre  and  naked 
in  Spain,  so  naked,  in  fact,  that  it  appears 
rather  as  though  money  had  been  lacking  to 
give  it  a  richer  aspect  than  that  the  artist’s 
genius  should  have  been  so  completely  devoid 
of  decorative  taste  or  imagination. 

The  interior  of  the  Roman  cruciform 
building,  though  by  no  means  one  of  the 
largest,  is,  as  regards  its  architectural  dis¬ 
position,  one  of  the  most  imposing  Gothic 
interiors  in  Spain.  High,  long,  and  narrow, 
the  central  nave  is  rendered  lighter  and  more 
elegant  by  the  bold  triforium  and  the  lancet 
windows  of  the  upper  clerestory  wall.  The 
wider  aisles,  on  the  other  hand,  are  dark  in 
comparison  to  the  nave,  and  tend  to  give  the 
latter  greater  importance. 

This  was  doubtless  the  intention  of  the 
primitive  master  who  terminated  the  aisles 
at  the  transept  by  constructing  chapels  to  the 
right  and  to  the  left  of  the  high  altar  and 
on  a  line  with  it.  The  sixteenth-century 
builders  thought  differently,  however,  and  so 
the  aisles  were  prolonged  into  an  apsidal 
ambulatory  behind  the  high  altar.  This  part 
of  the  building  is  far  less  pure  in  style  than 
the  primitive  structure,  and  the  chapels 

142 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

which  open  to  the  right  and  to  the  left  are  of 
a  more  recent  date,  and  consequently  even 
more  out  of  harmony  than  the  plateresque  am¬ 
bulatory.  The  three  rose  windows  in  the  semi¬ 
circular  apse  are  richly  decorated  with  ogi¬ 
val  nervures,  and  correspond,  one  to  the  nave 
and  one  to  each  of  the  aisles;  they  belong  to 
the  primitive  structure,  having  illuminated 
the  afore-mentioned  chapels. 

Standing  beneath  the  croisee,  under  a  sim¬ 
ple  ogival  vaulting,  the  ribs  of  which  are 
supported  by  richly  carved  capitals  and  ele¬ 
gant  shafts,  the  tourist  is  almost  as  favourably 
impressed  by  the  view  of  the  high  altar  to 
the  east  and  of  the  choir  to  the  west,  as  is 
the  case  in  Toledo.  For  in  Oviedo  begins 
that  series  of  Gothic  churches  in  which  the 
aesthetic  impression  is  not  restricted  to 
architectural  or  sculptural  details  alone,  but 
is  also  produced  by  the  blinding  display  of 
metal,  wood,  and  other  decorative  accessories. 

The  retablo  —  a  fine  Gothic  specimen  — 
stands  boldly  forth  against  the  light  coming 
from  the  apse  in  the  rear,  while  on  the  op¬ 
posite  side  of  the  transept  handsome,  deep 
brown  choir  stalls  peep  out  from  behind  a 
magnificent  iron  reja.  So  beautiful  is  the 
view  of  the  choir’s  ensemble  that  the  spectator 

M3 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

almost  forgives  it  for  breaking  in  upon  the 
grandeur  of  the  nave. 

The  chapels  buried  in  the  walls  of  the 
north  aisle  have  most  of  them  been  built  in 
too  extravagant  a  manner;  the  south  aisle, 
on  the  other  hand,  is  devoid  of  such  charac¬ 
teristic  rooms,  but  contains  some  highly  inter¬ 
esting  tomb  slabs. 

The  cloister  to  the  south  of  the  church  is 
a  rich  and  florid  example  of  late  ogival;  it 
is,  above  all,  conspicuous  for  the  marvellous 
variety  of  its  decorative  motives,  both  as  re¬ 
gards  the  sculptural  scenes  of  the  capitals 
(which  portray  scenes  in  the  lives  of  saints 
and  Asturian  kings,  and  are  almost  grotesque, 
though  by  no  means  carved  without  fire  and 
spirit)  and  the  fretwork  of  the  arches  which 
look  out  upon  the  garth. 

The  Camara  Santa,  or  treasure-room,  is  an 
annex  to  the  north  of  the  cathedral,  and  dates 
from  the  ninth  or  tenth  century;  it  is  small, 
and  was  formerly  used  as  a  chapel  in  the  old 
Romanesque  building  torn  down  in  1380.  Re¬ 
side  it,  in  the  eleventh  century,  was  constructed 
another  and  larger  room  in  the  same  style, 
with  the  characteristic  Romanesque  vaulting, 
the  rounded  windows,  and  the  decorative  mo¬ 
tives  of  the  massive  pillars  and  capitals. 

144 


I  Af[  r 


10 


>i ir  \ 

OG  :  :  i 


I 


CLOISTER  OF 

OVIEDO  CATHEDRAL 


II 


COVADONGA 

To  the  battle  of  Covadonga  modern  Spain 
owes  her  existence,  that  is,  if  we  are  to  be¬ 
lieve  the  legends  which  have  been  handed 
down  to  us,  and  which  rightfully  or  wrong¬ 
fully  belong  to  history.  Under  the  circum¬ 
stances,  it  is  not  surprising  that  the  gratitude 
of  later  monarchs  should  have  erected  a 
church  on  the  site  of  the  famous  battle,  and 
should  have  raised  it  to  a  collegiate  church. 

Covadonga  lies  in  the  vicinity  of  Oviedo, 
in  a  ravine  lost  in  the  heart  of  the  Picos 
de  Europa;  it  is  at  once  the  Morgarten 
and  Sempach  of  Spanish  history,  and  though 
no  art  monuments,  excepting  the  above 
named  monastic  church  and  two  Byzantine- 
Romanesque  tombs,  are  to  be  seen,  there  is 
hardly  a  visitor  who,  having  come  as  far 
north  as  Oviedo,  does  not  pay  a  visit  to  the 
cradle  of  Spanish  history. 

Nor  is  the  time  lost.  For  the  tourist  who 
145 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

leaves  the  capital  of  Asturias  with  the  in¬ 
tention  of  going,  as  would  a  pilgrim,  to 
Covadonga  (by  stage  and  not  by  rail!)  will 
be  delightfully  surprised  by  the  weird  and 
savage  wildness  of  the  country  through  which 
he  is  driven. 

Following  the  bed  of  a  river,  he  enters  a 
ravine;  up  and  up  climbs  the  road  bor¬ 
dered  by  steep  declivities  until  at  last  it 
reaches  a  wall  —  a  cul-de-sac  the  French 
would  call  it — rising  perpendicularly  ahead 
of  him.  Half-way  up,  and  on  a  platform, 
stands  a  solitary  church;  near  by  a  small 
cave,  with  an  authentic  (?)  image  of  the  Vir¬ 
gin  of  Battles  and  two  old  sepulchres,  is 
at  first  hidden  from  sight  behind  a  pro¬ 
truding  mass  of  rock. 

The  guide  or  cicerone  then  explains  to 
the  tourist  the  origin  of  Spanish  history  in 
the  middle  ages,  buried  in  the  legends,  of 
which  the  following  is  a  short  extract. 

Pelayo,  the  son  of  Doha  Luz  and  Duke 
Favila,  who,  as  we  have  seen,  was  killed  by 
Witiza  in  Tuy,  fled  from  Toledo  to  the 
north  of  Spain,  living  among  the  savage  in¬ 
habitants  of  Asturias. 

A  few  years  later,  when  Rodrigo,  who  was 
king  at  the  time,  and  by  some  strange  co- 

14^ 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spam 


incidence  Pelayo’s  cousin  as  well,  lost  the 
battle  of  Guadalete  and  his  life  to  boot,  the 
Arabs  conquered  the  whole  peninsula  and 
placed  in  Gijon,  a  seaport  town  of  Asturias, 
a  garrison  under  the  command  of  one 
Munuza.  The  latter  fell  desperately  in  love 
with  Pelayo’s  sister  Hermesinda,  whom  he 
had  met  in  the  village  of  Cangas.  Wish¬ 
ing  to  get  the  brother  out  of  the  way,  he 
sent  him  on  an  errand  to  Cordoba,  expecting 
him  to  be  assassinated  on  the  road.  But 
Pelayo  escaped  and  returned  in  time  to  save 
his  sister;  mad  with  wrath  and  swearing 
eternal  revenge,  he  retreated  to  the  moun¬ 
tainous  vales  of  Asturias,  bearing  Hermesinda 
away  with  him.  He  was  joined  by  many 
refugee  Christians  dissatisfied  with  the  Arab 
yoke,  and  aided  by  them,  made  many  a  bold 
incursion  into  the  plains  below,  and  grew 
so  daring  that  at  length  Munuza  mustered 
an  army  two  hundred  thousand  (!)  strong 
and  set  out  to  punish  the  rebel. 

Up  a  narrow  pass  between  two  high  ridges 
went  the  pagan  army,  paying  little  heed  to 
the  growing  asperity  and  savageness  of  the 
path  it  was  treading. 

Suddenly  ahead  of  the  two  hundred  thou¬ 
sand  a  high  sheet  of  rock  rose  perpendicu- 

147 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


larly  skywards;  on  a  platform  Pelayo  and 
his  three  hundred  warriors,  who  somehow 
or  other  had  managed  to  emerge  from  a 
miraculous  cave  where  they  had  found  an 
effigy  of  the  Virgin  of  Battles,  made  a  last 
stand  for  their  lives  and  liberties. 

Immediately  a  shower  of  stones,  beams, 
trunks,  and  what  not  was  hurled  down  into 
the  midst  of  the  heathen  army  by  the  three 
hundred  warriors.  Confusion  arose,  and,  like 
frightened  deer,  the  Arabs  turned  and  fled 
down  the  path  to  the  vale,  pushing  each 
other,  in  their  fear,  into  the  precipice  below. 

Then  the  Virgin  of  Battles  arose,  and  wish¬ 
ing  to  make  the  defeat  still  more  glorious, 
she  caused  the  whole  mountain  to  slide;  an 
avalanche  of  stones  and  earth  dragged  the 
remnants  of  Munuza’s  army  into  the  ravine 
beneath.  So  great  was  the  slaughter  and  the 
loss  of  lives  caused  by  this  defeat,  that  “  for 
centuries  afterward  bones  and  weapons  were 
to  be  seen  in  the  bed  of  the  river  when  au¬ 
tumn’s  heat  left  the  sands  bare.” 

This  Pelayo  was  the  first  king  of  As¬ 
turias,  the  first  king  of  Spain,  from  whom 
all  later-date  monarchs  descended,  though 
neither  in  a  direct  nor  a  legitimate  line,  be 
it  remarked  in  parenthesis.  The  tourist  will 

1 48 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

be  told  that  it  is  Pelayo’s  tomb,  and  that  of 
his  sister,  that  are  still  to  be  seen  in  the 
cave  at  Covadonga.  Perhaps,  though  no 
documents  or  other  signs  exist  to  bear  out 
the  statement.  At  any  rate,  the  sepulchres 
are  old,  which  is  their  chief  merit.  The 
monastical  church  which  stands  hard  by  can¬ 
not  claim  this  latter  quality;  neither  is  it 
important  as  an  art  monument. 


149 


Ill 


LEON 

The  civil  power  enjoyed  by  Oviedo  pre¬ 
vious  to  the  eleventh  century  moved  south¬ 
wards  in  the  wake  of  Asturias’s  conquering 
army.  For  about  a  century  it  stopped  on 
its  way  to  Toledo  in  a  fortress-town  situated 
in  a  wind-swept  plain,  at  the  juncture  of 
two  important  rivers. 

Leon  was  the  name  of  this  fortress,  one 
of  the  strategical  points,  not  only  of  the  early 
Romans,  but  of  the  Arabs  who  conquered 
the  country,  and  later  of  the  nascent  Chris¬ 
tian  kingdom  of  Asturias.  In  the  tenth  cen¬ 
tury,  or,  better  still,  toward  the  beginning 
of  the  eleventh,  and  after  the  final  retreat 
of  the  Moors  and  their  terrible  general  Al- 
manzor,  Leon  became  the  recognized  capital 
of  Asturias. 

When  the  Christian  wave  first  spread  over 
the  Iberian  peninsula  in  the  time  of  the  Ro¬ 
mans,  the  fortress  Legio  Septima,  established 

150 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

by  Trajanus’s  soldiers,  had  already  grown  in 
importance,  and  was  considered  one  of  the 
promising  North  Spanish  towns. 

The  inhabitants  were  among  the  most  fear¬ 
less  adherents  of  the  new  faith,  and  it  is 
said  that  the  first  persecution  of  the  martyrs 
took  place  in  Leon ;  consequently,  it  is  not 
to  be  wondered  at  that,  as  soon  as  Chris¬ 
tianity  was  established  in  Iberia,  a  see  should 
be  erected  on  the  blood-soaked  soil  of  the 
Roman  fortress.  (First  known  bishop,  Basi- 
lides,  252  A.  D.) 

Marcelo  seems  to  have  been  the  most 
stoically  brave  of  the  many  Leonese  martyrs. 
A  soldier  or  subaltern  in  the  Roman  legion, 
he  was  daring  enough  to  throw  his  sword 
at  the  feet  of  his  commander,  who  stood  in 
front  of  the  regiment,  saying: 

“  I  obey  the  eternal  King  and  scorn  your 
silent  gods  of  stone  and  wood.  If  to  obey 
Caesar  is  to  revere  him  as  an  idol,  I  refuse 
to  obey  him.” 

Stoic,  with  a  grain  of  sad  grandeur  about 
them,  were  his  last  words  when  Agricolanus 
condemned  him  to  death. 

“  May  God  bless  you,  Agricolano.” 

And  his  head  was  severed  from  his  body. 

The  next  religious  war  to  be  waged  in 
I51 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

and  around  Leon  took  place  between  Chris¬ 
tians  and  the  invading  Visigoths,  who  pro¬ 
fessed  a  doctrine  called  Arrianism.  Per¬ 
secutions  were,  of  course,  ripe  again,  and  the 
story  is  told  of  how  the  prior  of  San  Vi¬ 
cente,  after  having  been  beheaded,  appeared 
in  a  dream  to  his  cloister  brethren  trembling 
behind  their  monastic  walls,  and  advised  them 
to  flee,  as  otherwise  they  would  all  be  killed, 
—  an  advice  the  timid  monks  thought  was  an 
explicit  order  to  be  immediately  obeyed. 

The  conversion  of  Recaredo  to  Christian¬ 
ity —  for  political  reasons  only !  —  stopped 
all  further  persecution;  during  the  following 
centuries  Leon’s  inhabitants  strove  to  keep 
away  the  Arab  hordes  who  swept  north¬ 
wards;  now  the  Christians  were  overcome 
and  Allah  was  worshipped  in  the  basilica; 
now  the  Asturian  kings  captured  the  town 
from  Moorish  hands,  and  the  holy  cross 
crowned  the  altar.  Finally  the  dreaded  in¬ 
fidel  Almanzor  burnt  the  city  to  the  ground, 
and  retreated  to  Cordoba.  Ordofio  I.,  fol¬ 
lowing  in  his  wake,  rebuilt  the  walls  and 
the  basilica,  and  from  thenceforward  Leon 
was  never  again  to  see  an  Arab  army  within 
its  gates. 

Prosperity  then  smiled  on  the  city  soon  to 
152 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

become  the  capital  of  the  kingdom  of  As¬ 
turias.  The  cathedral  church  was  built  on 
the  spot  where  Ordono  had  erected  a  palace; 
the  first  stone  was  laid  in  1199. 

The  traditions,  legends,  and  historical 
events  which  took  place  in  the  kingdom’s 
capital  until  late  in  the  thirteenth  century 
belong  to  Spanish  history,  or  what  is  known 
as  such.  Ordono  II.  was  mysteriously  put 
to  death,  by  the  Counts  of  Castile,  some  say; 
Alfonso  IV.  —  a  monk  rather  than  a  king  — 
renounced  his  right  to  the  throne,  and  re¬ 
tired  to  a  convent  to  pray  for  his  soul.  After 
awhile  he  tired  of  mumbling  prayers  and, 
coming  out  from  his  retreat,  endeavoured 
to  wrest  the  sceptre  from  the  hands  of  his 
brother  Ramiro.  But  alas,  had  he  never  left 
the  cloister  cell!  He  was  taken  prisoner  by 
his  humane  brother,  had  his  eyes  burnt 
out  for  the  pains  he  had  taken,  and  died  a 
few  years  later. 

Not  long  after,  Alfonso  VII.  was  crowned 
Emperor  of  Spain  in  the  church  of  San 
Isidoro,  an  event  which  marks  the  climax 
of  Leon’s  fame  and  wealth.  Gradually  the 
kings  moved  southwards  in  pursuit  of  the 
retreating  Moors,  and  with  them  went  their 
court  and  their  patronage,  until  finally  the 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

political  centre  of  Castile  and  Leon  was  es¬ 
tablished  in  Burgos,  and  the  fate  that  had 
befallen  Oviedo  and  Lugo  visited  also  the 
one-time  powerful  fortress  of  the  Roman 
Legio  Septima. 

To-day?  A  dormant  city  on  a  baking  plain 
and  an  immense  cathedral  pointing  back  to 
centuries  of  desperate  wars  between  Chris¬ 
tians  and  Moors;  a  collegiate  church,  far 
older  still,  which  served  as  cathedral  when 
Alfonso  VII.  was  crowned  Emperor  of  Spain. 

Pulchra  Leonina  is  the  epithet  applied  to 
the  beautiful  cathedral  of  Leon,  dedicated 
to  the  Ascension  of  Our  Lady  and  to  Nuestra 
Senora  de  la  Blanca. 

The  first  stone  was  laid  in  1199,  presum¬ 
ably  on  the  spot  where  Ordono  I.  had  erected 
his  palace;  the  construction  of  the  edifice 
did  not  really  take  place,  however,  until  to¬ 
ward  1250,  so  that  it  can  be  considered  as 
belonging  to  the  late  thirteenth  and  early 
fourteenth  centuries. 

“Two  hundred  years  only  did  the  temple 
enjoy  a  quiet  life.  In  the  sixteenth  cen¬ 
tury,  restorations  and  additions  were  begun; 
in  1631  the  simple  vault  of  the  croisee  fell 
in  and  was  replaced  by  an  absurd  dome; 
in  1694  Manuel  Conde  destroyed  and  re- 

154 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

built  the  southern  front  according  to  the 
style  then  in  vogue,  and  in  1743  a  great 
number  of  the  arches  of  the  aisles  fell  in. 
Different  parts  of  the  building  were  con¬ 
tinually  tumbling  down,  having  become  too 
weak  to  support  the  heavier  materials  used 
in  the  construction  of  additions  and  reno¬ 
vations.” 

The  cathedral  was  closed  to  the  public  by 
the  government  in  1830  and  handed  over 
to  a  body  of  architects,  who  were  to  restore 
it  in  accordance  with  the  thirteenth-century 
design;  in  1901  the  interior  of  the  building 
had  been  definitely  finished,  and  was  opened 
once  more  to  the  religious  cult. 

The  general  plan  of  the  building  is  Roman 
cruciform,  with  a  semicircular  apse  com¬ 
posed  of  five  chapels  and  an  ambulatory  be¬ 
hind  the  high  altar. 

As  peculiarities,  the  following  may  be 
mentioned :  the  two  towers  of  the  western 
front  do  not  head  the  aisles,  but  flank  them; 
the  transept  is  exceptionally  wide  (in  Span¬ 
ish  cathedrals  the  distance  between  the  high 
altar  and  the  choir  must  be  regarded  as  the 
transept,  properly  speaking)  and  is  composed 
of  a  broad  nave  and  two  aisles  to  the  east 
and  one  to  the  west;  the  width  also  of  the 

i55 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

church  at  the  transept  is  greater  by  two 
aisles  than  that  of  the  body  itself,  —  a  modi¬ 
fication  which  produces  a  double  Roman 
cross  and  lends  exceptional  beauty  to  the 
ensemble,  as  it  permits  of  an  unobstructed 
view  from  the  western  porch  to  the  very 
apse. 

Attention  must  also  be  drawn  to  the  row 
of  two  chapels  and  a  vestibule  which  sepa¬ 
rate  the  church  from  the  cloister  (one  of  the 
most  celebrated  in  Spain  as  a  Gothic  struc¬ 
ture,  though  mixed  with  Renaissance  motives 
and  spoilt  by  fresco  paintings).  Thanks  to 
this  arrangement,  the  cathedral  possesses  a 
northern  portal  similar  to  the  southern  one. 
As  regards  the  exterior  of  the  building,  it 
is  a  pity  that  the  two  towers  which  flank 
the  aisles  are  heavy  in  comparison  to  the 
general  construction  of  the  church;  had  light 
and  slender  towers  like  those  of  Burgos  or 
that  of  Oviedo  been  placed  here,  how  grand 
would  have  been  the  effect!  Besides,  they 
are  not  similar,  but  date  from  different  pe¬ 
riods,  which  is  another  circumstance  to  be 
regretted. 

The  second  bodies  of  the  western  and 
southern  facades  also  clash  on  account  of  the 
Renaissance  elements,  with  their  simple  hori- 

156 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

zontal  lines  opposed  to  the  vertical  tendency 
of  pure  Gothic.  But  then,  they  also  were 
erected  at  a  later  date. 

Excepting  these  remarks,  however,  nothing 
is  more  airily  beautiful  and  elegant  than  the 
superb  expression  of  the  razonadas  locuras 
(logical  nonsense)  of  the  ogival  style  in  all 
its  phases,  both  early  and  late,  or  even  de¬ 
cadent.  For  examples  of  each  period  are 
to  be  found  here,  corresponding  to  the  cen¬ 
tury  in  which  they  were  erected. 

The  ensemble  is  an  astonishing  profusion 
of  high  and  narrow  windows,  of  which  there 
are  three  rows:  the  clerestory,  the  triforium, 
and  the  aisles.  Each  window  is  divided  into 
two  by  a  column  so  fragile  that  it  resembles 
a  spider’s  thread.  These  windows  peep  forth 
from  a  forest  of  flying  buttresses,  and  no¬ 
where  does  the  mixture  of  pinnacles  and 
painted  panes  attain  a  more  perfect  eloquence 
than  in  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  polygonal 
apse. 

The  western  and  southern  fagades  —  the 
northern  being  replaced  by  the  cloister  — 
are  alike  in  their  general  design,  and  are 
composed  of  three  portals  surmounted  by  a 
decidedly  pointed  arch  which,  in  the  case 
of  the  central  portals,  adorns  a  richly  sculp- 

157 


1  he  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

tured  tympanum.  The  artistic  merit  of  the 
statuary  in  the  niches  of  both  central  portals 
is  devoid  of  exceptional  praise,  that  of  the 
southern  facade  being  perhaps  of  a  better 
taste.  As  regards  the  stone  pillar  which 
divides  the  central  door  into  two  wings,  that 
on  the  south  represents  Our  Lady  of  the 
Blanca,  and  that  on  the  west  San  Froilan, 
one  of  the  early  martyr  bishops  of  Leon. 

Excepting  the  Renaissance  impurities  al¬ 
ready  referred  to,  each  portal  is  surmounted 
by  a  row  of  five  lancet  windows,  which  give 
birth,  as  it  were,  to  one  immense  window  of 
delicate  design. 

Penetrating  into  the  interior  of  the  build¬ 
ing,  preferably  by  the  lateral  doors  of  the 
western  front,  the  tourist  is  overcome  bv  a 
feeling  of  awe  and  amazement  at  the  bold 
construction  of  aisles  and  nave,  as  slen¬ 
der  as  is  the  frost  pattern  on  a  spotless  pane. 
The  full  value  of  the  windows,  which  are 
gorgeous  from  the  outside,  is  only  obtained 
from  the  interior  of  the  temple ;  those  of 
the  clerestory  reach  from  the  sharp  ogival 
vaulting  to  the  height  of  the  triforium,  which 
in  its  turn  is  backed  by  another  row  of 
painted  windows;  in  the  aisles,  another 
series  of  panes  rose  in  the  sixteenth  century 

158 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

from  the  very  ground  (!),  though  in  recent 
times  the  bases  have  unluckily  been  blinded 
to  about  the  height  of  a  man. 

The  pillars  and  columns  are  of  the  simplest 
and  most  sober  construction,  so  simple  that 
they  do  not  draw  the  spectator’s  attention, 
but  leave  him  to  be  impressed  by  the  great 
height  of  nave  and  aisles  as  compared  with 
their  insignificant  width,  and  above  all  by 
the  profuse  perforation  of  the  walls  by  hun¬ 
dreds  upon  hundreds  of  windows. 

Unluckily,  the  original  pattern  of  the 
painted  glass  does  not  exist  but  in  an  in¬ 
significant  quantity:  the  northern  window, 
the  windows  of  the  high  altar,  and  those  of 
the  Chapel  of  St.  James  are  about  the  only 
ones  dating  from  the  fifteenth  century  that 
are  left  standing  to-day;  they  are  easily  rec¬ 
ognizable  by  the  rich,  mellow  tints  unat¬ 
tained  in  modern  stained  glass. 

As  accessories,  foremost  to  be  mentioned 
are  the  choir  stalls,  which  are  of  an  elegant 
and  severe  workmanship  totally  different 
from  the  florid  carving  of  those  in  Toledo. 
The  high  altar,  on  the  other  hand,  is  de¬ 
void  of  interest  excepting  for  the  fine  ogival 
sepulchre  of  King  Ordono  II;  the  remain¬ 
ing  chapels,  some  of  which  contain  art  objects 

159 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

of  value,  need  not  claim  the  tourist’s  special 
attention. 

By  way  of  conclusion:  the  cathedral  of 
Leon,  restored  to-day  after  years  of  ruin 
and  neglect,  stands  forth  as  one  of  the 
master  examples  of  Gothic  workmanship, 
unrivalled  in  fairy-like  beauty  and,  from 
an  architectural  point  of  view,  the  very  best 
example  of  French  ogival  to  be  met  with 
in  Spain. 

Moreover,  those  who  wrought  it,  felt  the 
real  principles  of  all  Gothic  architecture. 
Many  are  the  cathedrals  in  Spain  pertain¬ 
ing  to  this  great  school,  but  not  one  of  them 
can  compare  with  that  of  Leon  in  the  way 
the  essential  principle  was  felt  and  expressed. 
They  are  all  beautiful  in  their  complex  and 
hybrid  style,  but  none  of  them  can  claim  to 
be  Gothic  in  the  way  they  are  built.  For 
wealth,  power,  and  luxury  in  details  is  gen¬ 
erally  the  lesson  Spanish  cathedrals  teach, 
but  they  do  not  give  their  lancets  and 
shafts,  their  vertical  lines  and  pointed  arches, 
the  chance  to  impress  the  visitor  or  true 
believer  with  those  sentiments  so  peculiar  to 
the  great  ogival  style. 

The  cathedral  of  Leon  is,  in  Spain,  the 
unique  exception  to  this  rule.  Save  only 

160 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

those  constructive  errors  or  dissonances  pre¬ 
viously  referred  to,  and  which  tend  to  coun¬ 
teract  the  soaring  characteristic,  it  could  be 
considered  as  being  pure  in  style.  Neverthe¬ 
less,  it  is  not  only  the  truest  Gothic  cathe¬ 
dral  on  the  peninsula,  but  one  of  the  finest 
in  the  world. 

At  the  same  time,  it  is  no  less  true  that 
it  is  not  so  Spanish  as  either  the  Gothic 
of  Burgos  or  of  Toledo. 

In  1063  the  King  of  Leon,  Fernando  I., 
signed  a  treaty  with  the  Arab  governor  of 
Sevilla,  obliging  the  latter  to  hand  over 
to  the  Catholic  monarch,  in  exchange  for 
some  other  privileges,  the  corpse  of  San 
Isidoro.  It  was  conveyed  to  Leon,  where 
a  church  was  built  to  contain  the  remains 
of  the  saint;  the  same  building  was  to  serve 
as  a  royal  pantheon. 

About  a  century  later  Alfonso  VII.  was 
battling  against  the  pagans  in  Andalusia 
when,  in  the  field  of  Baeza,  the  “  warlike 
apparition  of  San  Isidoro  appeared  in  the 
heavens  and  encouraged  the  Christian  sol¬ 
diers.” 

Thanks  to  this  divine  aid,  the  Moors  were 
beaten,  and  Alfonso  VII.,  returning  to  Leon, 

161 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

enriched  the  saint’s  shrine,  enlarged  it,  and 
raised  it  to  a  suffragan  church,  destined 
later  to  serve  as  the  temporary  see  while 
the  building  of  the  real  cathedral  was  going 
on. 

In  1135  Alfonso  VII.  was  crowned  Em¬ 
peror  of  the  West  Roman  Empire  with  ex¬ 
traordinary  pomp  and  splendour  in  the 
Church  of  San  Isidoro.  The  apogee  of 
Leon’s  importance  and  power  coincides  with 
this  memorable  event. 

The  emperor’s  sister,  Sancha,  a  pious  in¬ 
fanta,  bequeathed  her  vast  fortune  as  well 
as  her  palace  to  San  Isidoro,  her  favourite 
saint;  the  church  in  Leon  became,  conse¬ 
quently,  one  of  the  richest  in  Spain,  a  privi¬ 
lege  it  was,  however,  unable  to  retain  for 
any  length  of  time. 

In  1029,  shortly  after  the  erection  of  the 
primitive  building,  its  front  was  sullied,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  tradition,  by  the  blood  of 
one  Count  Garcia  of  Castile.  The  follow¬ 
ing  is  the  story: 

The  King  of  Asturias  at  the  time  was  Ber- 
mudo  II.,  married  to  Urraca,  the  daughter 
of  Count  Sancho  of  Castile.  Political  mo¬ 
tives  had  produced  this  union,  for  the 
Condes  de  Castile  had  grown  to  be  the  most 

162 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

important  and  powerful  feudal  lords  of 
the  kingdom. 

To  assure  the  count’s  assistance  and  friend¬ 
ship,  the  king  went  even  further:  he  prom¬ 
ised  his  sister  Sancha  to  the  count’s  son 
Garcia,  who  lost  no  time  in  visiting  Leon 
so  as  to  become  acqainted  with  his  future 
spouse. 

Three  sons  of  the  defeated  Count  of  Vela, 
a  Basque  nobleman  whom  the  Counts  of 
Castile  had  put  to  death,  were  in  the  city 
at  the  time.  Pretending  to  be  very  friendly 
with  the  young  fiance,  they  conspired  against 
his  life,  and,  knowing  that  he  paid  mat- 
inal  visits  to  San  Isidoro,  they  hid  in  the 
portal  one  day,  and  slew  the  youth  as  he 
entered. 

The  promised  bride  arrived  in  haste  and 
fell  weeping  on  the  body  of  the  murdered 
man;  she  wept  bitterly  and  prayed  to  be  al¬ 
lowed  to  be  buried  with  her  sweetheart.  Her 
prayer  was,  of  course,  not  granted:  so  she 
swore  she  would  never  marry.  She  was  not 
long  in  breaking  this  oath,  however,  for  a 
few  months  later  she  wedded  a  prince  of  the 
house  of  Navarra. 

The  present  state  of  the  building  of  San 
Isidoro  is  ruinous,  thanks  to  a  stroke  of 

163 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

lightning  in  1811,  and  to  the  harsh  treat¬ 
ment  bestowed  upon  the  building  by  Na¬ 
poleon’s  soldiers  during  the  War  for  Inde¬ 
pendence  (1808). 

Seen  from  the  outside,  the  edifice  is  as 
uninteresting  as  possible;  the  lower  part 
is  constructed  in  the  early  Latin  Roman¬ 
esque  style;  the  upper,  of  a  posterior  con¬ 
struction,  shows  a  decided  tendency  to  early 
Gothic. 

The  apse  was  originally  three-lobed,  Com¬ 
posed  of  three  identical  chapels  correspond¬ 
ing  to  the  nave  and  aisles;  in  the  sixteenth 
century  the  central  lobe  was  prolonged  and 
squared  off;  the  same  century  saw  the  erec¬ 
tion  of  the  statue  of  San  Isidoro  in  the 
southern  front,  which  spoiled  the  otherwise 
excellently  simple  Romanesque  portal. 

In  the  interior  of  the  ruin  —  for  such  it 
is  to-day  —  the  only  peculiarity  to  be  noted 
is  the  use  of  the  horseshoe  arches  in  the  ar¬ 
cades  which  separate  the  aisles  from  the 
nave,  as  well  as  the  Arab  dentated  arches 
of  the  transept.  It  is  the  first  case  on  record 
where,  in  a  Christian  temple  of  the  im¬ 
portance  of  San  Isidoro,  Arab  or  pagan 
architectural  elements  were  made  use  of  in 
the  decoration;  that  is  to  say,  after  the  in- 

164 


A  PSE  OF  SAX 

I5IDORO,  LEON 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

vasion,  for  previous  examples  were  known, 
having  most  likely  penetrated  into  the 
country  by  means  of  Byzantine  workmen  in 
the  fifth  and  sixth  centuries.  (In  San  Juan 
de  Banos.) 

Instead  of  being  lined  with  chapels  the 
aisles  are  covered  with  mural  paintings. 
These  frescoes  are  of  great  archaeological 
value  on  account  of  their  great  age  and  the 
evident  Byzantine  influence  which  character¬ 
izes  them;  artistically  they  are  unimportant. 

The  chief  attraction  of  the  building  is 
the  pantheon,  a  low,  square  chapel  of  six 
arches,  supported  in  the  centre  by  two  gi¬ 
gantic  pillars  which  are  crowned  by  huge 
cylindrical  capitals.  Nothing  more  depress¬ 
ing  or  gloomy  can  be  seen  in  the  peninsula 
excepting  the  pantheon  in  the  Escorial;  it 
is  doubtful  which  of  the  two  is  more  melan¬ 
choly.  The  pure  Oriental  origin  (almost 
Indian!)  of  this  pantheon  is  unmistakable 
and  highly  interesting. 

The  fresco  paintings  which  cover  the  ceil¬ 
ing  and  the  massive  ribs  of  the  vaulting  are 
equally  morbid,  representing  hell-scenes  from 
the  Apocalypse,  the  massacre  of  the  babes, 
etc. 

Only  one  or  two  of  the  Romanesque  marble 
165 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

tombs  which  lined  the  walls  are  remaining 
to-day;  the  others  were  used  by  the  French 
soldiers  as  drinking-troughs  for  their  cavalry 
horses  1 


IV 


ASTORGA 

The  Asturica  Augusta  of  the  Romans  was 
the  capital  of  the  northern  provinces  of 
Asturias  and  the  central  point  of  four  mili¬ 
tary  roads  which  led  to  Braga,  Aquitania, 
Saragosse,  and  Tarragon. 

During  the  Visigothic  domination,  and 
especially  under  the  reign  of  Witiza,  Astorga 
as  well  as  Leon,  Toledo,  and  Tuy  were  the 
only  four  cities  allowed  to  retain  their  walls. 

According  to  some  accounts,  Astorga  was 
the  seat  of  the  earliest  bishopric  in  the  pen¬ 
insula,  having  been  consecrated  in  the  first 
century  by  Santiago  or  his  immediate  fol¬ 
lowers;  historically,  however,  the  first  known 
bishop  was  Dominiciano,  who  lived  about 
347  A.  D. 

In  the  fourth  and  fifth  centuries  several 
heresies  or  false  doctrines  were  ripe  in  Spain. 
Of  one  of  these,  Libelatism,  Astorga  was  the 
centre;  the  other,  Priscilianism,  originally 

167 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Galician,  found  many  adherents  in  the  for¬ 
tress-town,  more  so  than  elsewhere,  except¬ 
ing  only  Tuy,  Orense,  and  Palencia. 

Libelatism.  —  Its  great  defender  was  Ba- 
silides,  Bishop  of  Astorga.  Strictly  speak¬ 
ing,  this  faith  was  no  heresy,  but  a  sham 
or  fraud  which  spread  out  beyond  the  Pyre¬ 
nees  to  France.  It  consisted  in  denying  the 
new  faith;  those  who  proclaimed  it,  or,  in 
other  words,  the  Christians,  who  were  se¬ 
verely  persecuted  in  those  days,  pretended 
to  worship  the  Latin  gods  so  as  to  save  their 
skins.  With  this  object  in  view,  and  to  be 
able  to  prove  their  sincerity,  they  were  ob¬ 
liged  to  obtain  a  certificate,  libelum  (libel?), 
from  the  Roman  governor,  stating  their  be¬ 
lief  in  Jupiter,  Venus,  etc.  Doubtless  they 
had  to  pay  a  tax  for  this  certificate,  and 
thus  the  Roman  state  showed  its  practical 
wisdom:  it  was  paid  by  cowards  for  being 
tyrannical.  But  then,  not  all  Christians  are 
born  martyrs. 

Priscilianism.  —  Of  quite  a  different  char¬ 
acter  was  the  other  heresy  previously  men¬ 
tioned.  It  was  a  doctrine  opposed  to  the 
Christian  religion,  proud  of  many  adherents, 
and  at  one  time  threatening  danger  to  the 
Holy  Roman  Catholic  Church.  Considering 

1 68 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

that  it  is  but  little  known  to-day  (for  after  a 
lingering  life  of  about  three  or  four  cen¬ 
turies  in  Galicia  it  was  quite  ignored  by 
philosophers  and  Christians  alike),  it  may  be 
of  some  use  to  transcribe  the  salient  points 
of  this  doctrine,  in  case  some  one  be  inclined 
to  baptize  him  or  herself  as  prophet  of  the 
new  religion.  It  was  preached  by  one  Pris- 
ciliano  in  the  fourth  century,  and  was  a 
mixture  of  Celtic  mythology  and  Christian 
faith. 

“  Prisciliano  did  not  believe  in  the  mys¬ 
tery  of  the  Holy  Trinity;  he  believed  that 
the  world  had  been  created  by  the  devil  (per¬ 
haps  he  was  not  wrong!)  and  that  the  devil 
held  it  beneath  his  sway;  further,  that  the 
soul  is  part  of  the  Divine  Essence  and  the 
body  dependent  upon  the  stars;  that  this  life 
is  a  punishment,  as  only  sinful  souls  descend 
on  earth  to  be  incarnated  in  organic  bodies. 
He  denied  the  resurrection  of  the  flesh  and 
the  authenticity  of  the  Old  Testament.  He 
defended  the  transmigration  of  souls,  the  in¬ 
vocation  of  the  dead,  and  other  ideas,  doubt¬ 
less  taken  from  native  Galician  mythology. 
To  conclude,  he  celebrated  the  Holy  Com¬ 
munion  with  grape  and  milk  instead  of  with 
wine,  and  admitted  that  all  true  believers 

169 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

(his  true  believers,  I  suppose,  for  we  are 
all  of  us  true  believers  of  some  sort)  could 
celebrate  religious  ceremonies  without  being 
ordained  curates.” 

Sinfosio,  Bishop  of  Astorga  in  400,  was 
converted  to  the  new  religion.  But,  upon 
intimation  that  he  might  be  deprived  of 
his  see,  he  hurriedly  turned  Christian  again, 
putting  thus  a  full  stop  to  the  spread  of 
heresy,  by  his  brave  and  unselfish  act. 

Toribio  in  447  was,  however,  the  bishop 
who  wrought  the  greatest  harm  to  Pris- 
cilianism.  He  seems  to  have  been  the  di¬ 
vine  instrument  called  upon  to  prove  by 
marvellous  happenings  the  true  religion: 
he  converted  the  King  of  the  Suevos  in 
Orense  by  miraculously  curing  his  son;  when 
surrounded  by  flames  he  emerged  unharmed; 
when  he  left  his  diocese,  and  until  his  return, 
the  crops  were  all  lost;  upon  his  return  the 
church-bells  rang  without  human  help,  etc., 
etc.  All  of  which  doings  proved  the  au¬ 
thenticity  of  the  true  religion  beyond  a  doubt, 
and  that  Toribio  was  a  saint;  the  Pope 
canonized  him. 

During  the  Arab  invasion,  Astorga,  being 
a  frontier  town,  suffered  more  than  most 
cities  farther  north;  it  was  continually  being 

1 70 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

taken  and1  lost,  built  up  and  torn  down  by 
the  Christians  and  Moors. 

Terrible  Almanzor  conquered  it  in  his  raid 
in  the  tenth  century,  and  utterly  destroyed 
it.  It  was  rebuilt  by  Veremundo  or  Ber- 
mudo  III.,  but  never  regained  its  lost  im¬ 
portance,  which  reverted  to  Leon. 

When  the  Christian  armies  had  conquered 
the  peninsula  as  far  south  as  Toledo,  As- 
torga  was  no  longer  a  frontier  town,  and 
rapidly  fell  asleep,  and  has  slept  ever  since. 
It  remained  a  see,  however,  but  only  one 
of  secondary  importance. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  state  how  many 
cathedral  churches  the  city  possessed  pre¬ 
vious  to  the  eleventh  century.  In  1069  the 
first  on  record  was  built;  in  1120  another; 
a  third  in  the  thirteenth  century,  and  finally 
the  fourth  and  present  building  in  1471. 

It  was  the  evident  intention  of  the  archi¬ 
tect  to  imitate  the  Pulchra  Leonina,  but  other 
tastes  and  other  styles  had  swept  across  the 
peninsula  and  the  result  of  the  unknown 
master’s  plans  resembles  rather  a  heavy, 
awkward  caricature  than  anything  else,  and 
a  bastard  mixture  of  Gothic,  plateresque, 
and  grotesque  styles. 

The  northern  front  is  by  far  the  best  of 
171 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

the  two,  boasting  of  a  rather  good  relief  in 
the  tympanum  of  the  ogival  arch;  some  of 
the  painted  windows  are  also  of  good  work¬ 
manship,  though  the  greater  part  are  modern 
glass,  and  unluckily  unstained. 

Its  peculiarities  can  be  signalized:  the 
windows  of  the  southern  aisle  are  situated 
above  the  lateral  chapels,  while  those  of  the 
northern  are  lower  and  situated  in  the 
chapels.  The  height  and  width  of  the  aisles 
are  also  remarkable  —  a  circumstance  that 
does  not  lend  either  beauty  or  effect  to  the 
building.  There  is  no  ambulatory  behind 
the  high  altar,  which  stands  in  the  lady- 
chapel;  the  apse  is  rounded.  This  pecu¬ 
liarity  reminds  one  dimly  of  what  the  primi¬ 
tive  plan  of  the  Oviedo  cathedral  must  have 
resembled. 

By  far  the  most  meritorious  piece  of  work 
in  the  cathedral  is  the  sixteenth-century  re- 
tablo  of  the  high  altar,  which  alone  is  worth 
a  visit  to  Astorga.  It  is  one  of  Becerra’s 
masterpieces  in  the  late  plateresque  style, 
as  well  as  being  one  of  the  master’s  last 
known  works  (1569). 

It  is  composed  of  five  vertical  and  three 
horizontal  bodies;  the  niches  in  the  lower 
are  flanked  by  Doric,  those  of  the  second  by 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Corinthian,  and  those  of  the  upper  by  com¬ 
posite  columns  and  capitals.  The  poly¬ 
chrome  statues  which  fill  the  niches  are  life- 
size  and  among  the  best  in  Spain;  together 
they  are  intended  to  give  a  graphic  descrip¬ 
tion  of  the  life  of  the  Virgin  and  of  her  Son. 

In  some  of  the  decorative  details,  how¬ 
ever,  this  retablo  shows  evident  signs  of 
plateresque  decadence,  and  the  birth  of  the 
florid  grotesque  style,  which  is  but  the 
natural  reaction  against  the  severity  of  early 
sixteenth-century  art. 


173 


V 


BURGOS 

Burgos  is  the  old  capital  of  Castile. 

Castile  —  or  properly  Castilla  —  owed  its 
name  to  the  great  number  of  castles  which 
stood  on  solitary  hills  in  the  midst  of  the 
plains  lying  to  the  north  of  the  Sierra  de 
Guaderrama;  one  of  these  castles  was  called 
Burgos. 

Unlike  Leon  and  Astorga,  Burgos  was  not 
known  to  the  Romans,  but  was  founded  by 
feudal  noblemen  in  the  middle  ages,  most 
likely  by  the  Count  of  Castilla  prior  to  884 
A.  D.,  when  its  name  first  appears  in  history. 

Situated  almost  in  the  same  line  and  to 
the  west  of  Astorga  and  Leon,  it  entered 
the  chain  of  fortresses  which  formed  the 
frontier  between  the  Christian  kingdoms  and 
the  Moorish  dominion.  At  the  same  time  it 
looked  westwards  toward  the  kingdom  of 
Navarra,  and  managed  to  keep  the  ambitious 
sovereigns  of  Pamplona  from  Castilian  soil. 

174 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

During  the  first  centuries  which  followed 
upon  the  foundation  of  the  village  of  Burgos 
at  the  foot  of  a  prominent  castle,  both  be¬ 
longed  to  the  feudal  lords  of  Castile,  the 
celebrated  counts  of  the  same  name.  This 
family  of  intrepid  noblemen  grew  to  be  the 
most  important  in  Northern  Spain;  vassals 
of  the  kings  of  Asturias,  they  broke  out  in 
frequent  rebellion,  and  their  doings  alone 
fill  nine  of  every  ten  pages  of  mediaeval  his¬ 
tory. 

Orduno  III.  —  he  who  lost  the  battle  of 
Valdejunquera  against  the  Moors  because 
the  noblemen  he  had  ordered  to  assist  re¬ 
frained  from  doing  so  —  enticed  the  Count 
of  Castile,  together  with  other  conspirators, 
to  his  palace,  and  had  them  foully  murdered. 
So,  at  least,  saith  history. 

The  successor  to  the  title  was  no  fool.  On 
the  contrary,  he  was  one  of  the  greatest 
characters  in  Spanish  history,  hero  of  a  hun¬ 
dred  legends  and  traditions.  Fernan  Gon¬ 
zalez  was  his  name,  and  he  freed  Castile 
from  owing  vassalage  to  Asturias,  for  he 
threw  off  the  yoke  which  bound  him  to 
Leon,  and  lived  as  an  independent  sovereign 
in  his  castle  of  Burgos.  This  is  the  date 
of  Castile’s  first  appearance  in  history  as  one 

175 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

of  the  nuclei  of  Christian  resistance  (in  the 
tenth  century). 

Nevertheless,  against  the  military  genius 
of  Almanzor  (the  victorious),  Fernan  Gon¬ 
zalez  could  do  no  more  than  the  kings  of 
Leon.  The  fate  that  befell  Santiago,  Leon, 
and  Astorga  awaited  Burgos,  which  was  ut¬ 
terly  destroyed  with  the  exception  of  the  im¬ 
pregnable  castle.  After  the  Arab’s  death, 
hailed  by  the  Christians  with  shouts  of  joy, 
and  from  the  pulpits  with  the  grim  remark: 
“Almanzor  mortuus  est  et  sepultus  et  in  in¬ 
ferno T  the  strength  of  Castile  grew  year 
by  year,  until  one  Conde  Garcia  de  Castilla 
married  one  of  his  daughters  to  the  King 
of  Navarra  and  the  other  to  Bermudo  III. 
of  Leon.  His  son,  as  has  already  been  seen 
in  a  previous  chapter,  was  killed  in  Leon 
when  he  went  to  marry  Bermudo’s  sister 
Sancha.  But  his  grandson,  the  recognized 
heir  to  the  throne  of  Navarra,  Fernando 
by  name,  inherited  his  grandfather’s  title 
and  estates,  even  his  murdered  uncle’s  prom¬ 
ised  bride,  the  sister  of  Bermudo.  At  the 
latter’s  death  some  years  later,  without  an 
heir,  he  inherited  —  or  conquered  —  Leon 
and  Asturias,  and  for  the  first  time  in  his- 


176 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

tory,  all  the  Christian  kingdoms  of  the  penin¬ 
sula  were  united  beneath  one  sceptre. 

Castile  was  now  the  most  powerful  state 
in  the  peninsula,  and  its  capital,  Burgos,  the 
most  important  city  north  of  Toledo. 

Two  hundred  years  later  the  centraliza¬ 
tion  of  power  in  Burgos  was  an  accomplished 
fact,  as  well  as  the  death  in  all  but  name 
of  the  ancient  kingdom  of  Leon,  Asturias, 
and  Galicia.  Castile  was  Spain,  and  Burgos 
its  splendid  capital  (1230,  in  the  reign  of 
San  Fernando). 

The  above  events  are  closely  connected 
with  the  ecclesiastical  history,  which  depends 
entirely  upon  the  civil  importance  of  the 
city. 

A  few  years  after  Fernando  I.  had  in¬ 
augurated  the  title  of  King  of  Castile,  he 
raised  the  parish  church  of  Burgos  to  a 
bishopric  (10 75)  by  removing  to  his  new 
capital  the  see  that  from  time  immemorial 
had  existed  in  Oca.  He  also  laid  the  first 
stone  of  the  cathedral  church  in  the  same 
spot  where  Fernan  Gonzalez  had  erected  a 
summer  palace,  previous  to  the  Arab  raid 
under  Almanzor.  Ten  years  later  the  same 
king  had  the  bishopric  raised  to  an  archi- 
episcopal  see. 


1 77 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

San  Fernando,  being  unable  to  do  more 
than  had  already  been  done  by  his  forefather 
Fernando  L,  had  the  ruined  church  pulled 
down,  and  in  its  place  he  erected  the  cathe¬ 
dral  still  standing  to-day.  This  was  in  1221. 

So  rapidly  was  the  main  edifice  con¬ 
structed,  that  as  early  as  1230  the  first  holy 
mass  was  celebrated  in  the  altar-chapel.  The 
erection  of  the  remaining  parts  took  longer, 
however,  for  the  building  was  not  completed 
until  about  three  hundred  years  later. 

Burgos  did  not  remain  the  sole  capital 
of  Northern  Spain  for  any  great  length  of 
time.  Before  the  close  of  the  thirteenth 
century,  Valladolid  had  destroyed  the  for¬ 
mer’s  monopoly,  and  from  then  on,  and  during 
the  next  three  hundred  years,  these  two  and 
Toledo  were  obliged  to  take  turns  in  the 
honour  of  being  considered  capital,  an 
honour  that  depended  entirely  upon  the  ca¬ 
prices  of  the  rulers  of  the  land,  until  it  wTas 
definitely  conferred  upon  Madrid  in  the 
seventeenth  century. 

As  regards  legends  and  traditions  of  feudal 
romance  and  tragedy,  hardly  a  city  except¬ 
ing  Toledo  and  Salamanca  can  compete 
with  Burgos.  Historical  events,  produced 
by  throne  usurpers  and  defenders,  by  con- 

178 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

tinual  strife,  by  the  obstinacy  of  the  noble¬ 
men  and  the  perfidy  of  the  monarchs,  —  all 
interwoven  with  beautiful  dames  and  cruel 
warriors  —  are  sufficiently  numerous  to  en¬ 
able  every  house  in  and  around  Burgos  to 
possess  some  secret  or  other,  generally  grue¬ 
some  and  licentious,  which  means  chivalrous. 
The  reign  of  Peter  the  Cruel  and  of  his 
predecessor  Alfonso,  the  father  of  four  or 
five  bastards,  and  the  lover  of  Dona  Leonor; 
the  heroic  deeds  of  Fernan  Gonzalez  and 
of  the  Cid  Campeador  (Rodrigo  Diaz  de 
Vivar)  ;  the  splendour  of  the  court  of  Isa¬ 
bel  I.,  and  the  peculiar  constitution  of  the 
land  with  its  Cortes,  its  convents,  and  monas¬ 
teries, — all  tend  to  make  Burgos  the  centre  of 
a  chivalrous  literature  still  recited  by  the 
people  and  firmly  believed  in  by  them. 
Unluckily  their  recital  cannot  find  a  place 
here,  and  we  pass  on  to  examine  the  grand 
cathedral,  object  of  the  present  chapter. 

The  train,  coming  from  the  north,  ap¬ 
proaches  the  city  of  Burgos.  A  low  hori¬ 
zon  line  and  undulating  plains  stretch  as 
far  as  the  eye  can  reach;  in  the  distance 
ahead  are  two  church  spires  and  a  castle 
looming  up  against  a  blue  sky. 

179 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

The  train  reaches  the  station;  a  mass  of 
houses  and,  overtopping  the  roofs  of  all 
buildings,  the  same  spires  as  seen  before, 
lost  as  it  were  in  a  forest  of  pinnacles, 
emerging  from  two  octagonal  lanterns  or 
cimborios.  In  the  background,  on  a  sandy 
hill,  are  the  ruins  of  the  castle  which  once 
upon  a  time  was  the  stronghold  of  the 
Counts  of  Castile. 

Burgos!  Passing  beneath  a  four-hun¬ 
dred-year-old  gateway  —  Arco  de  Santa 
Maria  —  raised  by  trembling  bourgeois  to 
appease  a  monarch’s  wrath,  the  visitor  ar¬ 
rives  after  many  a  turn  in  a  square  situ¬ 
ated  in  front  of  the  cathedral. 

A  poor  architectural  element  is  this 
western  front  of  the  cathedral  as  regards 
the  first  body  or  the  portals.  Devoid  of 
all  ornamentation,  and  consequently  naked, 
three  doors  or  portals,  surmounted  by  a  pe¬ 
culiar  egg-shaped  ogival  arch,  open  into 
the  nave  and  aisles.  Originally  they  were 
richly  decorated  by  means  of  sculptural  re¬ 
liefs  and  statuary,  but  in  the  plateresque 
period  of  the  sixteenth  century  they  were 
demolished.  The  two  lateral  doors  leading 
into  the  aisles  are  situated  beneath  the  275 
feet  high  towers  of  excellent  workmanship. 

180 


B 


ITRGOS 

CATHEDRAL 


kySgi-n- 

pi 

|CT 

J8tr 

The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

The  central  door  is  surmounted  by  a  plater- 
esque-Renaissance  pediment  imbedded  in  an 
ogival  arch  (of  all  things!)  ;  the  side  doors 
are  crowned  by  a  simple  window. 

Vastly  superior  in  all  respects  to  the 
lower  body  are  the  upper  stories,  of  which 
the  first  is  begun  by  a  pinnacled  balus¬ 
trade  running  from  tower  to  tower;  in  the 
centre,  between  the  two  towers,  there  is  an 
immense  rosace  of  a  magnificent  design 
and  embellished  by  means  of  an  ogival 
arch  in  delicate  relief;  the  windows  of  the 
tower,  as  well  as  in  the  superior  bodies,  are 
pure  ogival. 

The  next  story  can  be  considered  as  the 
basement  of  the  towers,  properly  speaking. 
The  central  part  begins  with  a  prominent 
balustrade  of  statues  thrown  against  a  back¬ 
ground  formed  by  twin  ogival  windows 
of  exceptional  size.  The  third  story  is  com¬ 
posed,  as  regards  the  towers,  of  the  last  of 
the  square  bodies  upon  which  the  fleche 
reposes;  these  square  bases  are  united  by  a 
light  frieze  or  perforated  balustrade  which 
crowns  the  central  part  of  the  fagade  and 
is  decorated  with  ogival  designs. 

Last  to  be  mentioned,  but  not  least  in 
importance,  are  the  fleches.  Though  short 

1 8 1 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

in  comparison  to  the  bold  structure  at 
Oviedo,  they  are,  nevertheless,  of  surprising 
dignity  and  elegance,  and  richly  ornamented, 
being  covered  over  with  an  innumerable 
amount  of  tiny  pinnacles  encrusted,  as  it  were, 
on  the  stone  network  of  a  perfoiated  pyra¬ 
mid. 

The  northern  fagade  is  richer  in  sculptural 
details  than  the  western,  though  the  portal 
possesses  but  one  row  of  statues.  The  rosace 
is  substituted  by  a  three-lobed  window,  the 
central  pane  of  which  is  larger  than  the 
lateral  two. 

As  this  northern  fagade  is  almost  fifteen 
feet  higher  than  the  ground-plan  of  the  tem¬ 
ple,  —  on  account  of  the  street  being  much 
higher,  —  a  flight  of  steps  leads  down  into 
the  transept.  As  a  Renaissance  work,  this 
golden  staircase  is  one  of  Spain’s  marvels, 
but  it  looks  rather  out  of  place  in  an  essen¬ 
tially  Gothic  cathedral. 

To  avoid  the  danger  of  falling  down  these 
stairs  and  with  a  view  to  their  preservation, 
the  transept  was  pierced  by  another  door 
in  the  sixteenth  century,  on  a  level  with  the 
floor  of  the  building,  and  leading  into  a 
street  lower  than  the  previous  one;  it  is 
situated  on  the  east  of  the  prolonged  tran- 

182 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

sept,  or  better  still,  of  the  prolonged  north¬ 
ern  transept  arm. 

On  the  south  side  a  cloister  door  corre¬ 
sponds  to  this  last-named  portal.  Though 
the  latter  is  plateresque,  cold  and  severe, 
the  former  is  the  richest  of  all  the  portals 
as  regards  sculptural  details;  the  carving 
of  the  panels  is  also  of  the  finest  workman¬ 
ship.  Beside  it,  the  southern  front  of  the 
cathedral  coincides  perfectly  with  the  north¬ 
ern;  like  the  Puerta  de  la  Plateria  in 
Santiago,  it  is  rendered  somewhat  insignifi¬ 
cant  by  the  cloister  to  the  right  and  by 
the  archbishop’s  palace  to  the  left,  between 
which  it  is  reached  by  a  paved  series  of 
terraces,  for  on  this  side  the  street  is  lower 
than  the  floor  of  the  cathedral.  The  im¬ 
pression  produced  by  this  alley  is  grand 
and  imposing,  unique  in  Spain. 

Neither  is  the  situation  of  the  temple 
exactly  east  and  west,  a  rare  circumstance 
in  such  a  highly  Catholic  country  like  Spain. 
It  is  Roman  cruciform  in  shape;  the  cen¬ 
tral  nave  contains  both  choir  and  high  altar; 
the  aisles  are  prolonged  behind  the  latter 
in  an  ambulatory. 

The  lateral  walls  of  the  church,  enlarged 
here  and  there  to  make  room  for  chapels 

183 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

of  different  dimensions,  give  an  irregular 
outline  to  the  building  which  has  been  partly 
remedied  by  the  free  use  of  buttresses,  fly¬ 
ing  buttresses,  and  pinnacles. 

The  first  impression  produced  on  the  vis¬ 
itor  standing  in  either  of  the  aisles  is  that 
of  size  rather  than  beauty;  a  close  exami¬ 
nation,  however,  of  the  wealth  of  statues 
and  tombs,  and  of  the  sculptural  excellence 
of  stone  decoration,  will  draw  from  the 
tourist  many  an  exclamation  of  wonder  and 
delight.  Further,  the  distribution  of  light 
is  such  as  to  render  the  interior  of  the 
temple  gay  rather  than  sombre;  it  is  a 
pit}-,  nevertheless,  that  the  stained  glasses 
of  the  sixteenth  century  see  were  all  destroyed 
by  a  powder  explosion  in  1813,  when  the 
French  soldiers  demolished  the  castle. 

The  unusual  height  of  the  choir  mars  the 
ensemble  of  the  interior;  the  stalls  are  lav¬ 
ishly  carved,  but  do  not  inspire  the  same 
feeling  of  wonderful  beauty  as  do  those 
of  Leon  and  Toledo,  for  instance;  the  reja 
or  grille  which  separates  the  choir  from 
the  transept  is  one  of  the  finest  pieces  of 
work  in  the  cathedral,  and,  though  massive, 
it  is  simple  and  elegant. 

The  retablo  of  the  high  altar,  richly  gilt, 
184 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

is  of  the  Renaissance  period;  the  statues 
and  groups  which  fill  the  niches  are  mar¬ 
vellously  drawn  and  full  of  life.  In  the 
ambulatory,  imbedded  in  the  wall  of  the 
trascoro,  there  are  six  plaques  in  low  relief ; 
as  sculptural  work  in  stone  they  are  un¬ 
rivalled  in  the  cathedral,  and  were  carved, 
beyond  a  doubt,  by  the  hand  of  a  master. 
The  croisee  and  the  Chapel  of  the  Condes- 
table  are  the  two  chief  attractions  of  the 
cathedral  church. 

The  last  named  chapel  is  an  octagonal 

addition  to  the  apse.  Its  walls  from  the 

exterior  are  seen  to  be  richly  sculptured 
and  surmounted  by  a  lantern,  or  windowed 
dome,  surrounded  by  high  pinnacles  and 
spires  placed  on  the  angles  of  the  polygone 
base.  The  croisee  is  similar  in  structure, 

but,  due  to  its  greater  height,  appears  even 

more  slender  and  aerial.  The  towers  with 
their  fleches,  together  with  these  original 
octagonal  lanterns  with  their  pinnacles, 
lend  an  undescribable  grace,  elegance,  and 
majesty  to  what  would  otherwise  have  been 
a  rather  unwieldy  edifice. 

The  Chapel  of  the  Condestable  is  sepa¬ 
rated  from  the  ambulatory  (in  the  interior 
of  the  temple)  by  a  good  grille  of  the  six- 

185 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

teenth  century,  and  by  a  profusely  sculp¬ 
tured  door.  The  windows  above  the  altar 
are  the  only  ones  that  retain  painted  panes 
of  the  sixteenth  century.  Among  the  other 
objects  contained  in  this  chapel  —  which 
is  really  a  connoisseur’s  collection  of  art 
objects  of  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  cen¬ 
turies  —  can  be  mentioned  the  two  mar¬ 
vellously  carved  tombs  of  the  Condestable 
and  of  his  wife. 

The  croisee,  on  the  other  hand,  has  been 
called  the  “  cathedral’s  cathedral.”  Gazing 
skyward  from  the  centre  of  the  transept 
into  the  high  cimborio,  and  admiring  the 
harmony  of  its  details,  the  wealth  of  dec¬ 
orative  elements,  and  the  no  less  original 
structure  of  the  dome,  whose  vault  is  formed 
by  an  immense  star,  one  can  understand 
the  epithet  applied  to  this  majestic  piece 
of  work,  a  marvel  of  its  kind. 

Strange  to  say,  the  primitive  cupola  which 
crowned  the  croisee  fell  down  in  the  six¬ 
teenth  century,  the  date  also  of  Burgos’s 
growing  insignificance  in  political  ques¬ 
tions.  Consequently,  it  was  believed  by  many 
that  the  same  fate  produced  both  accidents, 
and  that  the  downfall  of  the  one  necessa¬ 
rily  involved  the  decadence  of  the  other. 

1 86 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

To  conclude:  The  Gothic  cathedral  of 
Burgos  is,  with  that  of  Leon  and  perhaps 
that  of  Sevilla,  the  one  which  expresses  in 
a  greater  measure  than  any  other  on  the  pen¬ 
insula  the  true  ideal  of  ogival  architecture. 
Less  airy,  light,  and  graceful  than  that  of 
Leon,  it  is,  nevertheless,  more  Spanish,  or 
in  other  words,  more  majestic,  heavier,  and 
more  imposing  as  regards  size  and  weight. 
From  a  sculptural  point  of  view  —  stone 
sculpture  —  it  is  the  first  of  all  Spanish 
Gothic  cathedrals,  and  ranks  among  the  most 
elaborate  and  perfect  in  Europe. 


187 


VI 


SANTANDER 

The  foundation  of  Santander  is  attributed 
to  the  Romans  who  baptized  it  Harbour  of 
Victory.  Its  decadence  after  the  Roman 
dominion  seems  to  have  been  complete,  and 
its  name  does  not  appear  in  the  annals  of 
Spanish  history  until  in  1187,  when  Alfonso, 
eighth  of  that  name  and  King  of  Castile, 
induced  the  repopulation  of  the  deserted 
hamlet  by  giving  it  a  special  fuero  or  privi¬ 
lege.  At  that  time  a  monastery  surrounded 
by  a  few  miserable  huts  seems  to  have  been 
all  that  was  left  of  the  Roman  seaport; 
this  monastery  was  dedicated  to  the  martyr 
saints  Emeterio  and  Celedonio,  for  it  was, 
and  still  is,  believed  that  they  perished  here, 
and  not  in  Calahorra,  as  will  be  seen  later 
on. 

The  name  of  the  nascent  city  in  the  times 
of  Alfonso  VIII.  was  Sancti  Emetrii,  from 
that  of  the  monastery  or  of  the  old  town, 

188 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

but  within  a  few  years  the  new  town  eclipsed 
the  former  in  importance  and,  being  dedi¬ 
cated  to  St.  Andrew,  gave  its  name  to  the 
present  city  (San-t- Andres,  Santander). 

As  a  maritime  town,  Santander  became 
connected  with  all  the  naval  events  under¬ 
taken  by  young  Castile,  and  later  by  Philip 
II.,  against  England.  Kings,  princes,  prin¬ 
cess-consorts,  and  ambassadors  from  foreign 
lands  came  by  sea  to  Santander,  and  went 
from  thence  to  Burgos  and  Valladolid;  from 
Santander  and  the  immediate  seaports  the 
fleet  sailed  which  was  to  travel  up  the 
Guadalquivir  and  conquer  Sevilla;  in  1574 
the  Invincible  Armada  left  the  Bay  of  Bis¬ 
cay  never  to  return,  and  from  thence  on 
until  now,  Santander  has  ever  remained 
the  most  important  Spanish  seaport  on  the 
Cantabric  Sea. 

Its  ecclesiastical  history  is  uninteresting  — 
or,  rather,  the  city  possesses  no  ecclesiastical 
past;  perhaps  that  is  one  of  the  causes  of 
its  flourishing  state  to-day.  In  the  thirteenth 
century  the  monastical  Church  of  San  Eme- 
terio  was  raised  to  a  collegiate  and  in  1775 
to  a  bishopric. 

The  same  unimportance,  from  an  art  point 
of  view,  attaches  itself  to  the  cathedral 

189 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

church.  No  one  visits  the  city  for  the  sake 
of  the  heavy,  clumsy,  and  exceedingly  ir¬ 
regularly  built  temple  which  stands  on  the 
highest  part  of  the  town.  On  the  contrary, 
the  great  attraction  is  the  fine  beach  of  the 
Sardinero  which  lies  to  the  west  of  the  in¬ 
dustrial  town,  and  is,  in  summer,  the  Brigh¬ 
ton  of  Spain.  The  coast-line,  deeply  dentated 
and  backed  by  the  Cantabric  Mountains,  is 
far  more  delightful  and  attractive  than  the 
Gothic  cathedral  structure  of  the  thirteenth 
century. 

Consequently,  little  need  be  said  about  it. 
In  the  interior,  the  height  of  the  nave  and 
aisles,  rendered  more  pronounced  by  the 
pointed  ogival  arches,  gives  the  building 
a  somewhat  aerial  appearance  that  is  belied 
by  the  view  from  without. 

The  square  tower  on  the  western  end  is 
undermined  by  a  gallery  or  tunnel  through 
which  the  Calle  de  Puente  passes.  To  the 
right  of  the  same,  and  reached  by  a  flight  of 
steps,  stands  the  entrance  to  the  crypt,  which 
is  used  to-day  as  a  most  unhealthy  parish 
church.  This  crypt  of  the  late  twelfth  cen¬ 
tury  or  early  thirteenth  shows  a  decided 
Romanesque  tendency  in  its  general  appear¬ 
ance:  it  is  low,  massive,  strong,  and  crowned 

190 


RYPT  OF  SANTANDER 
CATHEDRAL 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

by  a  semicircular  vaulting  reposing  on 
gigantic  pillars  whose  capitals  are  roughly 
sculptured.  The  windows  which  let  in  the 
little  light  that  enters  are  ogival,  proving 
the  Transition  period  to  which  the  crypt 
belongs;  it  was  originally  intended  as  the 
pantheon  for  the  abbots  of  the  monastery. 
But  unlike  the  Galician  Romanesque,  it 
lacks  an  individual  cachet ;  if  it  resembles 
anything  it  is  the  pantheon  of  the  kings  in 
San  Isidoro  in  Leon,  though  in  point  of 
view  of  beauty,  the  two  cannot  be  com¬ 
pared. 

The  form  of  the  crypt  is  that  of  a  per¬ 
fect  Romanesque  basilica,  a  nave  and  two 
aisles  terminating  a  three-lobed  apse. 

In  the  cathedral,  properly  speaking,  there 
is  a  baptismal  font  of  marble,  bearing  an 
Arabic  incription  by  way  of  upper  frieze; 
it  is  square,  and  of  Moorish  workmanship, 
and  doubtless  was  brought  from  Cordoba 
after  the  reconquest.  Its  primitive  use 
had  been  practical,  for  in  Andalusia  it  stood 
at  the  entrance  to  some  mezquita,  and  in 
its  limpid  waters  the  disciples  of  Mahomet 
performed  their  hygienic  and  religious  ab¬ 
lutions. 


VII 


VITORIA 

If  the  foreigner  enter  Spain  by  Irun,  the 
first  cathedral  town  on  his  way  south  is 
Vitoria. 

Gazteiz  seems  to  have  been  its  Basque 
name  prior  to  1 1 8 1 ,  when  it  was  enlarged 
by  Don  Sancho  of  Navarra  and  was  given 
a  fuero  or  privilege,  together  with  its  new 
name,  chosen  to  commemorate  a  victory 
obtained  by  the  king  over  his  rival,  Alfonso 
of  Castile. 

Fortune  did  not  smile  for  any  length  of 
time  on  Don  Sancho,  for  seventeen  years 
later  Alfonso  VIII.  incorporated  the  city 
in  his  kingdom  of  Castile,  and  it  was  lost 
for  ever  to  Navarra. 

As  regards  the  celebrated  fueros  given 
by  the  last  named  monarch  to  the  inhabitants 
of  the  city,  a  curious  custom  was  in  vogue 
in  the  city  until  a  few  years  ago,  when  the 
Basque  Provinces  finally  lost  the  privileges 
they  had  fought  for  during  centuries. 

192 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

When  Alfonso  VIII.  granted  these  privi¬ 
leges,  he  told  the  citizens  they  were  to  con¬ 
serve  them  “  as  long  as  the  waters  of  the 
Zadorria  flowed  into  the  Ebro.” 

The  Zadorria  is  the  river  upon  which 
Vitoria  is  situated;  about  two  miles  up  the 
river  there  is  a  historical  village,  Arriago, 
and  a  no  less  historical  bridge.  Hither,  then, 
every  year  on  St.  John’s  Day,  the  inhabitants 
of  Vitoria  came  in  procession,  headed  by  the 
municipal  authorities,  the  bishop  and  clergy, 
the  clerk  of  the  town  half,  and  the  sheriff. 
The  latter  on  his  steed  waded  into  the  waters 
of  the  Zadorria,  and  threw  a  letter  into  the 
stream;  it  flowed  with  the  current  toward 
the  Ebro  River.  An  act  was  then  drawn 
up  by  the  clerk,  signed  by  the  mayor  and 
the  sheriff,  testifying  that  the  “  waters  of 
the  Zadorria  flowed  into  the  Ebro.” 

To-day  the  waters  still  flow  into  the  Ebro, 
but  the  procession  does  not  take  place,  and 
the  city’s  fueros  are  no  more. 

In  the  reign  of  Isabel  the  Catholic,  the 
Church  of  St.  Mary  was  raised  to  a  Cole- 
giata,  and  it  is  only  quite  recently,  according 
to  the  latest  treaty  between  Spain  and  Rome, 
that  an  episcopal  see  has  been  established  in 
the  city  of  Vitoria. 


193 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Documents  that  have  been  discovered  state 
that  in  1281  — a  hundred  3rears  after  the  city 
had  been  newly  baptized  —  the  principal 
temple  was  a  church  and  castle  combined; 
in  the  fourteenth  century  this  was  completely 
torn  down  to  make  room  for  the  new  build¬ 
ing,  a  modest  ogival  church  of  little  or  no 
merit. 

The  tower  is  of  a  later  date  than  the 
body  of  the  cathedral,  as  is  easily  seen  by 
the  triangular  pediments  which  crown  the 
square  windows:  it  is  composed  of  three 
bodies,  as  is  generally  the  case  in  Spain,  the 
first  of  which  is  square  in  its  cross-section, 
possessing  four  turrets  which  crown  the 
angles ;  the  second  body  is  octagonal  and 
the  third  is  in  the  form  of  a  pyramid  ter¬ 
minating  in  a  spire. 

The  portal  is  cut  into  the  base  of  the 
tower.  It  is  the  handsomest  front  of  the 
building,  though  in  a  rather  dilapidated 
state;  the  sculptural  decorations  of  the  three 
arches,  as  well  as  the  aerial  reliefs  of  the 
tympanum,  are  true  to  die  period  in  which 
they  were  conceived. 

The  sacristy  encloses  a  primitive  wooden 
effigy  of  the  Virgin;  it  is  of  greater  his¬ 
toric  than  artistic  value.  There  is  also  a 

194 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

famous  picture  attributed  now  to  Van  Dyck, 
now  to  Murillo;  it  represents  Christ  in  the 
arms  of  his  mother,  and  Mary  Magda¬ 
lene  weeping  on  her  knees  beside  the  prin¬ 
cipal  group.  The  picture  is  known  by  the 
name  of  Piety  or  La  Piedad. 

The  high  altar,  instead  of  being  placed 
to  the  east  of  the  transept,  as  is  generally  the 
case,  is  set  beneath  the  croisee,  in  the  cir¬ 
cular  area  formed  by  the  intersection  of  nave 
and  transept.  The  view  6i  the  interior  is 
therefore  completely  obstructed,  no  matter 
where  the  spectator  stands. 


i95 


VIII 


UPPER  RIOJA 

To  the  south  of  Navarra  and  about  a 
hundred  miles  to  the  west  of  Burgos,  the 
Ebro  River  flows  through  a  fertile  vale 
called  the  Rioja,  famous  for  its  claret.  It 
is  little  frequented  by  strangers  or  tourists, 
and  yet  it  is  well  worth  a  visit.  The  train 
runs  down  the  Ebro  valley  from  Miranda 
to  Saragosse.  A  hilly  country  to  the  north 
and  south,  well  wooded  and  gently  sloping 
like  the  Jura;  nearer,  and  along  the  banks 
of  the  stream,  huertas  or  orchards,  gardens, 
and  vineyards  offer  a  pleasant  contrast  to  the 
distant  landscape,  and  produce  a  favourable 
impression,  especially  when  a  village  or 
town  with  its  square,  massive  church-tower 
peeps  forth  from  out  of  the  foliage  of  fruit- 
trees  and  elms. 

Such  is  Upper  Rioja' — one  of  the  pretti¬ 
est  spots  in  Spain,  the  Touraine,  one  might  al¬ 
most  say,  of  Iberia,  a  circular  region  of  about 

196 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

twenty-five  miles  in  radius,  containing  four 
cities,  Logrono,  Santo  Domingo  de  la  Cal- 
zada,  Najera,  and  Calahorra. 

The  Roman  military  road  from  Tarragon 
to  Astorga  passed  through  the  Rioja,  and 
Calahorra,  a  Celtiberian  stronghold  slightly 
to  the  south,  was  conquered  by  the  invaders 
after  as  sturdy  a  resistance  as  that  of  Nu- 
mantia  itself.  It  was  not  totally  destroyed 
by  the  conquering  Romans  *as  happened  in 
the  last  named  town ;  on  the  contrary,  it 
grew  to  be  the  most  important  fortress  be¬ 
tween  Leon  and  Saragosse. 

When  the  Christian  religion  dawned  in 
the  West,  two  youths,  inseparable  brothers, 
and  soldiers  in  the  seventh  legion  stationed 
in  Leon,  embraced  the  true  religion  and 
migrated  to  Calahorra.  They  were  beheaded 
after  being  submitted  to  a  series  of  the  most 
frightful  tortures,  and  their  tunics,  leaving 
the  bodies  from  which  life  had  escaped, 
soared  skywards  with  the  saintly  souls,  to 
the  great  astonishment  of  the  Roman  spec¬ 
tators.  The  names  of  these  two  martyr 
saints  were  Emeterio  and  Celedonio,  who, 
as  we  have  seen,  are  worshipped  in  San¬ 
tander;  besides,  they  are  also  the  patron 
saints  of  Calahorra. 


197 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

The  first  Bishop  of  Calahorra  took  posses¬ 
sion  of  his  see  toward  the  middle  of  the 
fifth  century;  his  name  was  Silvano.  Un¬ 
luckily,  he  was  the  only  one  whose  name  is 
known  to-day,  and  yet  it  has  been  proven 
that  when  the  Moors  invaded  the  country 
two  or  three  hundred  years  later,  the  see 
was  removed  to  Oviedo,  later  to  Alava  (near 
Vitoria,  where  no  remains  of  a  cathedral 
church  are  to  be  seen  to-day),  and  in  the 
tenth  century  to  Najera.  One  hundred  years 
later,  when  the  King  of  Navarra,  Don  Garcia, 
conquered  the  Arab  fortress  at  Calahorra, 
the  wandering  see  was  once  more  firmly 
chained  down  to  the  original  spot  of  its 
creation  (1030;  the  first  bishop  de  modernis 
being  Don  Sancho). 

Near  by,  and  in  a  vale  leading  to  the 
south  from  the  Ebro,  the  Moors  built  a 
fortress  and  called  it  Najera.  Conquered 
by  the  early  kings  of  Navarra,  it  was  raised 
to  the  dignity  of  one  of  the  cathedral  towns 
of  the  country;  from  950  (first  bishop, 
Theodomio)  to  1030  ten  bishops  held  their 
court  here,  that  is,  until  the  see  was  removed 
to  Calahorra.  Since  then,  and  especially 
after  the  conquest  of  Rioja  by  Alfonso  VI. 
of  Castile,  the  city’s  significance  died  out 

198 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

completely,  and  to-day  it  is  but  a  shadow 
of  what  it  previously  had  been,  or  better 
still,  it  is  an  ignored  village  among  ruins. 

Still  further  west,  and  likewise  situated 
in  a  vale  to  the  south  of  the  Ebro,  Santo 
Domingo  de  la  Calzada  ranks  as  the  third 
city.  Originally  its  parish  was  but  a  suffra¬ 
gan  church  of  Calahorra,  but  in  1227  it  was 
raised  to  an  episcopal  see.  jQuite  recently, 
in  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
when  church  funds  were  no  longer  what  they 
had  been,  only  one  bishop  was  appointed  to 
both  sees,  with  an  alternative  residence  in 
either  of  the  two,  that  is  to  say,  one  prelate 
resided  in  Calahorra,  his  successor  in  Santo 
Domingo,  and  so  forth  and  so  on.  Since 
1850,  however,  both  villages  —  for  they  are 
cities  in  name  only  —  have  lost  all  right  to 
a  bishop,  the  see  having  been  definitely  re¬ 
moved  to  Logrono,  or  it  will  be  removed 
there  as  soon  as  the  present  bishop  dies. 
But  he  has  a  long  life,  the  present  bishop! 

The  origin  of  Santo  Domingo  is  purely 
religious.  In  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  cen¬ 
turies  a  pious  individual  lived  in  the  neigh¬ 
bourhood  whose  life-work  and  ambition  it 
was  to  facilitate  the  travelling  pilgrims  to 
Santiago  in  Galicia.  He  served  as  guide, 

1 99 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

kept  a  road  open  in  winter  and  summer, 
and  even  built  bridges  across  the  streams, 
one  of  which  is  still  existing  to-day,  and  leads 
into  the  town  which  bears  his  name. 

He  had  even  gone  so  far  as  to  establish 
a  rustic  sort  of  an  inn  where  the  pilgrims 
could  pass  the  night  and  eat  (without  pay¬ 
ing?).  He  also  constructed  a  church  beside 
his  inn.  Upon  dying,  he  was  canonized 
Santo  Domingo  de  la  Calzada  (Domingo 
was  his  name,  and  calzada  is  old  Spanish 
for  highroad).  The  Alfonsos  of  Castile  were 
grateful  to  the  humble  saint  for  having 
saved  them  the  expense  and  trouble  of  look¬ 
ing  after  their  roads,  and  ordained  that  a 
handsome  church  should  be  erected  on  the 
spot  where  previously  the  humble  inn  and 
chapel  had  stood.  Houses  grew  up  around 
it  rapidly  and  the  dignity  of  the  new  temple 
was  raised  in  consequence. 

Of  the  four  cities  of  Upper  Rioja,  the  only 
one  worthy  of  the  name  of  city  is  Logrono, 
with  its  historical  bridge  across  the  Ebro, 
a  bridge  that  was  held,  according  to 
the  tradition,  by  the  hero,  Ruy  Diaz 
Gaona,  and  three  valiant  companions  against 
a  whole  army  of  invading  Navarrese. 

The  name  Lucronio  or  Logrono  is  first 
200 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

mentioned  in  a  document  toward  the  middle 
of  the  eleventh  century.  The  date  of  its 
foundation  is  absolutely  unknown,  and  all 
that  can  be  said  is  that,  once  it  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  the  monarchs  of  Castile 
(1076),  it  grew  rapidly  in  importance,  out¬ 
shining  the  other  three  Rioja  cities.  It  is 
seated  on  the  southern  banks  of  the  Ebro 
in  the  most  fertile  part  of  the*  whole  region, 
and  enjoys  a  delightful  climate.  Since  1850 
it  has  been  raised  to  the  dignity  of  an  epis¬ 
copal  see. 

As  regards  the  architectural  remains  of 
the  four  cities  in  the  Upper  Rioja  valley, 
they  are  similar  to  those  of  Navarra,  prop¬ 
erly  speaking,  though  not  so  pure  in  their 
general  lines.  In  other  words,  they  belong 
to  the  decadent  period  of  Gothic  art.  More¬ 
over,  they  have  one  and  all  been  spoiled 
by  ingenious,  though  dreadful  mixtures  of 
plateresque,  Renaissance,  and  grotesque  dec¬ 
orative  details,  and  consequently  the  real 
remains  of  the  old  twelfth  and  thirteenth 
century  Gothic  and  Romanesque  construc¬ 
tions  are  difficult  to  trace. 

Najera.  —  Absolutely  nothing  remains  of 
the  old  Romanesque  church  built  by  the 
king  Don  Garcia.  A  new  edifice  of  de- 

201 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

cadent  Gothic,  mixed  with  Renaissance 
details,  and  dating  from  the  fifteenth  cen¬ 
tury,  stands  to-day;  it  contains  a  magnificent 
series  of  choir  stalls  of  excellent  workman¬ 
ship,  and  similar  to  those  of  Burgos.  The 
cloister,  in  spite  of  the  Arab-looking  geo¬ 
metrical  tracery  of  the  ogival  arches,  is 
both  light  and  elegant. 

This  cathedral  was  at  one  time  used  as 
the  pantheon  of  the  kings  of  Navarra.  About 
ten  elaborate  marble  tombs  still  lie  at  the 
foot  of  the  building. 

Santo  Domingo  de  la  Calzada. — The 
primitive  ground-plan  of  the  cathedral  has 
been  preserved,  a  nave  and  two  aisles  show¬ 
ing  Romanesque  strength  in  the  lower  and 
ogival  lightness  in  the  upper  tiers.  But 
otherwise  nothing  reminds  one  of  a  twelfth 
or  thirteenth  century  church. 

The  cloister,  of  the  sixteenth  century,  is 
a  handsome  plateresque-Renaissance  edifice, 
rather  small,  severe,  and  cold.  The  great 
merit  of  this  church  lies  in  the  sepulchral 
tombs  in  the  different  chapels,  all  of  which 
were  executed  toward  the  end  of  the  fif¬ 
teenth  and  during  the  first  years  of  the 
seventeenth  centuries,  and  any  one  wishing 
to  form  for  himself  an  idea  of  this  particular 

202 


* 


-k  >i.ii  X<k 
j,  . : '  J  ,  'V:  .  X 


CLOISTER  OF 

NAJERA  CATHEDRAL 


c 


■\ 


•p  •' 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

branch  of  Spanish  monumental  art  must 
not  fail  to  examine  such  sepulchres  as  those 
of  Carranza,  Fernando  Alfonso,  etc. 

The  effigy  of  the  patron  saint  (Santo  Do¬ 
mingo)  is  of  painted  wood  clothed  in  rich 
silver  robes,  which  form  a  striking  antith¬ 
esis  to  the  saint’s  humble  and  modest  life. 
The  chapel  where  the  latter  lies  is  closed 
by  a  gilded  iron  reja  of  plateresque  work¬ 
manship.  The  saint’s  body  lies  in  a  simple 
marble  sepulchre,  said  to  have  been  carved 
by  Santo  Domingo  himself,  who  was  both 
an  architect  and  a  sculptor.  The  truth  of 
this  version  is,  however,  doubtful. 

Of  the  square  tower  and  the  principal 
entrance  no  remarks  need  be  made,  for  both 
are  insignificant.  The  retablo  of  the  high 
altar  has  been  attributed  to  Foment,  who 
constructed  those  of  Saragosse  and  Huesca. 
The  attribution  is,  however,  most  doubtful, 
as  shown  by  the  completely  different  styles 
employed  by  the  artist  of  each.  Not  that 
the  retablo  in  the  Church  of  Santo  Domingo 
is  inferior  to  Foment’s  masterworks  in  Ara¬ 
gon,  but  the  decorative  motives  of  the  flank¬ 
ing  columns  and  low  reliefs  would  prove 
—  in  case  they  had  been  executed  by  the 


203 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Aragonese  Foment  —  a  departure  from  the 
latter’s  classic  style. 

In  one  of  the  niches  of  the  cloister,  in 
a  simple  urn,  lies  the  heart  of  Don  Enrique, 
second  King  of  Castile  of  that  name,  the 
half-brother  (one  of  the  bastards  mentioned 
in  a  previous  chapter  and  from  whom  all 
later  Spanish  monarchs  are  descended)  of 
Peter  the  Cruel.  The  latter  was  murdered 
by  his  fond  relative,  who  usurped  the  throne. 

Logroilo.  —  In  1435  Santa  Maria  la 
Redonda  was  raised  to  a  suffragan  church 
of  Santo  Domingo  de  la  Calzada;  about 
this  date  the  old  building  must  have  been 
almost  entirely  torn  down,  as  the  ogival 
arches  of  the  nave  are  of  the  fifteenth  cen¬ 
tury;  so  also  are  the  lower  windows  which, 
on  the  west,  flank  the  southern  door. 

Excepting  these  few  remains,  nothing  can 
bring  to  the  tourist’s  mind  the  fifteenth- 
century  edifice,  and  not  a  single  stone  can 
recall  the  twelfth-century  church.  For  the 
remaining  parts  of  the  building  are  of  the 
sixteenth,  seventeenth,  and  successive  cen¬ 
turies,  and  to-day  the  interior  is  being  en¬ 
larged  so  as  to  make  room  for  the  see  which 
is  to  be  removed  here  from  Santo  Domingo 
and  Calahorra. 


204 


. 


>>i.  t  ux oo  i‘t 


SANTA  MARIA  LA 

REDON  DA,  LOGRONO 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

The  interior  is  Roman  cruciform  with 
a  high  and  airy  central  nave,  in  which  stands 
the  choir,  and  on  each  hand  a  rather  dark 
aisle  of  much  smaller  dimensions. 

The  trascoro  is  the  only  peculiarity  pos¬ 
sessed  by  this  church.  It  is  large  and  cir¬ 
cular,  closed  by  an  immense  vaulting  which 
turns  it  into  a  chapel  separated  from  the  rest 
of  the  church  (compare  with  the  Church  of 
the  Pillar  of  Saragosse). 

True  to  the  grotesque  style  to  which  it 
belongs,  the  whole  surface  of  walls  and  vault 
is  covered  with  paintings,  the  former  ap¬ 
parently  in  oil,  the  latter  frescoes.  Vixes 
painted  them  in  the  theatrical  style  of  the 
eighteenth  century. 

From  the  outside,  the  regular  features  of 
the  church  please  the  eye  in  spite  of  the 
evident  signs  of  artistic  decadence.  The  two 
towers,  high  and  slender,  are  among  the  best 
produced  by  the  period  of  decadence  in 
Spain  which  followed  upon  Herrero’s  se¬ 
vere  style,  if  only  the  uppermost  body 
lacked  the  circular  linterna  which  makes 
the  spire  top-heavy. 

Between  the  two  towers,  which,  when  seen 
from  a  distance,  gain  in  beauty  and  lend  to 
the  city  a  noble  and  picturesque  aspect,  the 

205 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

fagade,  properly  speaking,  reaches  to  their 
second  body.  It  is  a  hollow,  crowned  by 
half  a  dome  in  the  shape  of  a  shell  which 
in  its  turn  is  surmounted  by  a  plateresque 
cornice  in  the  shape  of  a  long  and  narrow 
scroll. 

The  hollow  is  a  peculiar  and  daring  med¬ 
ley  of  architectural  elegance  and  sculptural 
bizarrerie  and  vice  versa.  From  Madrazo 
it  drew  the  exclamation  that,  since  he  had 
seen  it,  he  was  convinced  that  not  all  monu¬ 
ments  belonging  to  the  grotesque  style  were 
devoid  of  beauty. 

The  date  of  the  erection  of  the  western 
front  is  doubtless  the  same  as  that  of  the 
trascoro ;  both  are  contemporaneous  —  the 
author  is  inclined  to  believe  —  with  the  erec¬ 
tion  of  the  Pillar  in  Saragosse;  at  least, 
they  resemble  each  other  in  certain  un¬ 
mistakable  details. 

Calahorra.  —  The  fourth  of  the  cathedral 
churches  of  U'pper  Rioja  is  that  of  Cala¬ 
horra.  After  the  repopulation  of  the  town 
by  Alfonso  VI.  of  Castile  in  the  eleventh 
century,  the  bodies  of  the  two  martyr  saints 
Emeterio  and  Celedonio  were  pulled  up  out 
of  a  well  (to  be  seen  to-day  in  the  cloister) 
where  they  had  been  hidden  by  the  Chris- 

206 


i 


J|^  *1 ( >  '!  'a  '  |  f 

•  7  M >i  <  1 H  A  I  AO  V/ 


■ 


* 


WESTERN  FRONT  OF 

CALAHORRA  CATHEDRAL 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

tians,  when  the  Moors  conquered  the  fortress, 
and  a  church  was  built  near  the  same  spot. 
Of  this  eleventh-century  church  nothing  re¬ 
mains  to-day. 

In  the  twelfth  century,  a  new  building 
was  begun,  but  the  process  of  construction 
continued  slowly,  and  it  was  not  until  two 
hundred  years  later  that  the  apse  was  finally 
finished.  The  body  of  the  church,  from 
the  western  front  (this  latter  hideously 
modern  and  uninteresting)  to  the  transept, 
is  the  oldest  part,  —  simple  Gothic  of  the 
thirteenth  century. 

The  numerous  chapels  which  form  a  ring 
around  the  church  have  all  been  decorated 
in  the  grotesque  style  of  the  eighteenth  cen¬ 
tury,  and  with  their  lively  colours,  their 
polychrome  statues,  and  overdone  ornamenta¬ 
tion,  they  offer  but  little  interest  to  the 
visitor.  The  retablo  of  the  high  altar  is  one 
of  the  largest  to  be  seen  anywhere;  but  the 
Renaissance  elegance  of  the  lower  body  is 
completely  drowned  by  the  grotesque  deco¬ 
ration  of  the  upper  half,  which  was  con¬ 
structed  at  a  later  date. 

The  choir  stalls  are  fine  specimens  of  that 
style  in  which  the  artist  preferred  an  intricate 
composition  to  simple  beauty.  Biblical 

207 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

scenes,  surrounded  and  separated  by  alle¬ 
gorical  personages  and  symbolical  lines  in 
great  profusion,  show  the  carver’s  talent 
rather  than  his  artistic  genius. 


208 


IX 


SORIA 

The  Duero  River,  upon  leaving  its  source 
at  the  foot  of  the  Pico  de  Urbion  (near 
Vinuesa),  flows  eastward  for  about  fifty 
miles,  then  southward  for  another  fifty  miles, 
when  it  turns  abruptly  westward  on  its 
lengthy  journey  across  the  Iberian  peninsula. 

The  circular  region,  limited  on  three  sides 
by  the  river’s  course,  is  the  historical  field 
of  Soria  —  part  of  the  province  of  the  same 
name,  Numantia,  Rome's  great  enemy  and 
almost  the  cause  of  her  ruin,  lay  somewhere 
in  this  part  of  the  country,  though  where 
is  not  exactly  known,  as  the  great  Scipio 
took  care  to  destroy  it  so  thoroughly  that 
not  even  a  stone  remains  to-day  to  indicate 
where  the  heroic  fortress  stood. 

In  the  present  day,  two  cities  and  two 
cathedrals  are  seated  on  the  banks  of  the 
Duero  within  this  circle;  the  one  is  Soria, 
the  other  Osma.  The  latter  was  a  Roman 

209 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

town,  an  early  episcopal  see,  and  later  an 
Arab  fortress;  the  former  was  founded  by 
one  of  the  Alfonsos  toward  the  end  of  the 
eleventh  century,  as  a  frontier  fortress 
against  Aragon  to  the  east,  the  Moors  to 
the  south,  and  Navarra  to  the  north. 

The  town  grew  apace,  thanks  to  the  re¬ 
markable  fueros  granted  to  the  citizens,  who 
lived  as  in  a  republic  of  their  own  making 
—  an  almost  unique  case  of  self-government 
to  be  recorded  in  the  middle  ages. 

The  principal  parish  church  was  raised 
to  a  suffragan  of  Osma  in  the  twelfth  cen¬ 
tury.  Since  then,  there  has  been  a  contin¬ 
ual  spirit  of  rivalry  between  the  two  cities, 
for  the  former,  more  important  as  a  town 
and  as  the  capital  of  a  province,  could  not 
bend  its  head  to  the  ecclesiastical  authority 
of  a  village  like  Osma.  Throughout  the 
middle  ages  the  jealousy  between  the  two 
was  food  for  incessant  strife.  Pope  Clement 
IV.,  at  Alfonso  VIII, 's  instigation,  raised 
the  Collegiate  at  Soria  to  an  episcopal  see 
independent  of  Osma,  but  the  hard-headed 
chapter  of  the  last  named  city  refused  to 
acknowledge  the  Pope's  order,  and  no  bishop 
was  elected  or  appointed. 

This  bitter  hatred  between  the  two  rivals 


210 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


was  the  origin  of  many  an  amusing  incident. 
Upon  one  occasion  the  Bishop  of  Osma,  visit¬ 
ing  his  suffragan  church  in  Soria,  had  the 
house  in  which  he  was  stopping  for  the 
night  burnt  about  his  ears.  He  moved  off 
to  another  house,  and  on  the  second  night 
this  was  also  mysteriously  set  on  fire.  His 
lordship  did  not  await  the  third  night, 
afraid  of  what  might  happen,  but  bolted 
back  to  his  episcopal  palace  at  Osma. 

In  1520  the  chapter  of  the  Collegiate  in 
Soria  sent  a  petition  to  the  country’s  sov¬ 
ereign  asking  him  to  order  the  erection  of 
a  new  church  in  place  of  the  old  twelfth- 
century  building,  and  in  another  part  of  the 
town.  The  request  was  not  granted,  how¬ 
ever,  so  what  did  the  wily  chapter  do?  It 
ordered  an  architect  to  construct  a  chapel 
in  the  very  centre  of  the  church,  and  when 
it  was  completed,  admired  the  work  with 
great  enthusiasm,  excepting  only  the  pillar 
in  front  of  it  which  obstructed  the  uninter¬ 
rupted  view.  This  pillar  was  the  real  sup¬ 
port  of  the  church,  and  though  the  chapter 
was  told  as  much  (as  though  it  did  not 
know  it!)  the  architect  was  ordered  to  pull 
it  down.  After  hesitating  to  do  so,  the  latter 
acceded:  the  pillar  was  pulled  down,  and 

21 1 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

with  it  the  whole  church  tumbled  down  as 
well!  But  the  chapter’s  game  was  discov¬ 
ered,  and  it  was  obliged  to  rebuild  the  cathe¬ 
dral  on  the  same  spot  and  with  the  same 
materials. 

Consequently,  the  church  at  Soria  is  a  six¬ 
teenth-century  building  of  little  or  no  merit, 
excepting  the  western  front,  which  is  the 
only  part  of  the  old  building  that  did  not 
fall  down,  and  is  a  fine  specimen  of  Castilian 
Romanesque,  as  well  as  the  cloister,  one  of 
the  handsomest,  besides  being  one  of  the  few 
twelfth-century  cloisters  in  Spain,  with  a 
double  row  of  slender  columns  supporting 
the  round-headed  arches.  This  modifica¬ 
tion  of  the  conventional  type  lends  an  aspect 
of  peculiar  lightness  to  the  otherwise  heavy 
Romanesque. 

As  regards  the  settlement  of  the  strife 
between  Soria  and  Osma,  the  see  is  to-day 
a  double  one,  like  that  of  Madrid  and  Al¬ 
cala.  Upon  the  death  of  the  present  bishop, 
however,  it  will  be  transported  definitely 
to  Soria,  and  consequently  the  inhabitants 
of  the  last  named  city  will  at  last  be  able 
to  give  thanks  for  the  great  mercies  Allah 
or  the  True  God  has  bestowed  upon  them. 

Osma.  —  From  an  historical  and  archi- 


212 


. 


9 


\ 


f 


' 

(CLOISTER  Ob 
J  SORIA  CATHEDRAL 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

tectural  point  of  view,  Osma,  the  rival  city 
on  the  Duero  River,  is  much  more  important 
than  Soria. 

According  to  the  tradition,  St.  James 
preached  the  Holy  Gospel,  and  after  him 
St.  Peter  (or  St.  Paul?),  who  left  his  dis¬ 
ciple  St.  Astorgio  behind  as  bishop  (91  A.  D.). 
Twenty-two  bishops  succeeded  him,  the 
twenty- third  on  the  list  being  John  I.,  really 
the  first  of  whose  existence  we  have  any 
positive  proof,  for  he  signed  the  third  coun¬ 
cil  in  Toledo  in  the  sixth  century.  In  the 
eighth  century,  the  Saracens  drove  the  shep¬ 
herd  of  the  Christian  flock  northward  to 
Asturias,  and  it  was  not  until  1100  that  the 
first  bishop  de  modernis  was  appointed  by 
Archbishop  Bernardo  of  Toledo.  The  lat¬ 
ter's  choice  fell  on  Peter,  a  virtuous  French 
monastic  monk,  who  was  canonized  by  the 
Pope  after  his  death,  and  figures  in  the 
calendar  as  St.  Peter  of  Osma. 

When  the  first  bishop  took  possession  of 
his  see,  he  started  to  build  his  cathedral. 
Instead  of  choosing  Osma  itself  as  the  seat, 
however,  he  selected  the  site  of  a  convent 
on  the  opposite  banks  of  the  Duero  (to  the 
north),  where  the  Virgin  had  appeared  to 
a  shepherd.  Houses  soon  grew  up  around 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

the  temple  and,  to  distinguish  it  from  Osma, 
the  new  city  was  called  Burgo  de  Osma,  a 
name  it  still  retains. 

In  1232,  not  a  hundred  years  after  the 
erection  of  the  cathedral,  it  was  totally  des¬ 
troyed,  excepting  one  or  two  chapels  still 
to  be  seen  in  the  cloister,  by  Juan  Dominguez, 
who  was  bishop  at  the  time,  and  who  wished 
to  possess  a  see  more  important  in  appear¬ 
ance  than  that  left  to  him  by  his  predecessor, 
St.  Peter. 

The  building  as  it  stands  to-day  is  small, 
but  highly  interesting.  The  original  plan 
was  that  of  a  Romanesque  basilica  with  a 
three-lobed  apse,  but  in  1781  the  ambulatory 
walk  behind  the  altar  joined  the  two  lateral 
aisles. 

Two  of  the  best  pieces  of  sculptural  work 
in  the  cathedral  are  the  retablo  of  the  high 
altar,  and  the  relief  imbedded  in  the  wall 
of  the  trascoro  —  both  of  them  carved  in 
wood  by  Juan  de  Juni,  one  of  the  best  Cas¬ 
tilian  sculptors  of  the  sixteenth  century. 
The  plastic  beauty  of  the  figures  and  their 
lifelike  postures  harmonize  well  with  the 
simple  Renaissance  columns  ornamented  here 
and  there  with  finely  wrought  flowers  and 
garlands. 


214 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

The  chapel  where  St.  Peter  of  Osma's 
body  lies  is  an  original  rather  than  a  beauti¬ 
ful  annex  of  the  church.  For,  given  the 
small  dimensions  of  the  cathedral,  it  was  dif¬ 
ficult  to  find  sufficient  room  for  the  chapels, 
sacristy,  vestuary,  etc.  In  the  case  of  the 
above  chapel,  therefore,  it  was  necessary  to 
build  it  above  the  vestuary;  it  is  reached 
by  a  flight  of  stairs,  beneath  which  two 
three-lobed  arches  lead  to  the  sombre  room 
below.  The  result  is  highly  original. 

The  same  remarks  as  regard  lack  of  space 
can  be  made  when  speaking  about  the  prin¬ 
cipal  entrance.  Previously  the  portal  had 
been  situated  in  the  western  front;  the  erec¬ 
tion  of  the  tower  on  one  side,  and  of  a 
chapel  on  the  other,  had  rendered  this  en¬ 
trance  insignificant  and  half  blinded  by  the 
prominent  tower.  So  a  new  one  had  to  be 
erected,  considered  by  many  art  critics  to  be 
a  beautiful  addition  to  the  cathedral  properly 
speaking,  but  which  strikes  the  author  as 
excessively  ugly,  especially  the  upper  half, 
with  its  balcony,  and  a  hollow  arch  above 
it,  in  the  shadows  of  which  the  rose  win¬ 
dow  loses  both  its  artistic  and  its  useful  ob¬ 
ject.  So,  being  round,  it  is  placed  within 
a  semicircular  sort  of  avant-porche  or  recess. 

215 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

the  strong  contours  of  which  deform  the  im¬ 
mense  circle  of  the  window. 

To  conclude:  in  the  cathedral  of  Osma, 
bad  architecture  is  only  too  evident.  The 
tower  is  perhaps  the  most  elegant  part,  and 
yet  the  second  body,  which  was  to  give  it 
a  gradually  sloping  elegance,  was  omitted, 
and  the  third  placed  directly  upon  the  first. 
This  is  no  improvement. 

Perhaps  the  real  reason  for  these  archi¬ 
tectural  mishaps  is  not  so  much  the  fault  of 
the  architects  and  artists  as  that  of  the  chap¬ 
ter,  and  of  the  flock  which  could  not  help 
satisfactorily  toward  the  erection  of  a  worthy 
cathedral.  Luckily,  however,  there  are  other 
cathedrals  in  Spain,  where,  in  spite  of  re¬ 
duced  funds,  a  decent  and  homogeneous 
building  was  erected. 

The  cloister,  bare  on  the  inner  side,  is 
nevertheless  a  modest  Gothic  structure  with 
acceptable  lobulated  ogival  windows. 


216 


PART  IV 

Western  Castile 


I 


PALENCIA 

The  history  of  Palencia  can  be  divided 
into  two  distinct  parts,  separated  from  each 
other  by  a  lapse  of  about  five  hundred 
years,  during  which  the  city  was  entirely 
blotted  out  from  the  map  of  Spain. 

The  first  period  reaches  from  before  the 
Roman  Conquest  to  the  Visigothic  domi¬ 
nation. 

Originally  inhabited  by  the  Vacceos,  a 
Celtiberian  tribe,  it  was  one  of  the  last 
fortresses  to  succumb  to  Roman  arms,  having 
joined  Numantia  in  the  terrible  war  waged 
by  Spaniards  and  which  has  become  both 
legendary  and  universal. 

Under  Roman  rule  the  broad  belt  of  land, 
of  which  Palencia,  a  military  town  on  the 
road  from  Astorga  to  Tarragon,  was  the 
capital,  flourished  as  it  had  never  done  be¬ 
fore.  Consequently  it  is  but  natural  that 
one  of  the  first  sees  should  have  been  es- 

219 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

tablished  there  as  soon  as  Christianity  in¬ 
vaded  the  peninsula.  No  records  are, 
however,  at  hand  as  regards  the  names  of 
the  first  bishops  and  of  the  martyr  saints, 
as  thick  here  as  elsewhere  and  as  numerous 
in  Spain  as  in  Rome  itself.  At  any  rate, 
contemporary  documents  mention  a  Bishop 
Toribio,  not  the  first  to  occupy  the  see  nor  the 
same  prelate  who  worked  miracles  in  Orense 
and  Astorga.  The  Palencian  Toribio  fought 
also  against  the  Priscilian  heresy,  and  was 
one  of  the  impediments  which  stopped  its 
spread  further  southward.  Of  this  man  it 
is  said  that,  disgusted  with  the  heresy  prac¬ 
tised  at  large  in  his  Pallantia,  he  mounted 
on  a  hill,  and,  stretching  his  arms  heaven¬ 
wards,  caused  the  waters  of  the  river  to  leave 
their  bed  and  inundate  the  city,  a  most 
efficacious  means  of  bringing  loitering  sheep 
to  the  fold. 

Nowhere  did  the  Visigoths  wreak  greater 
vengeance  or  harm  on  the  Iberians  who  had 
hindered  their  entry  into  the  peninsula  than 
in  Palencia.  It  was  entirely  wrecked  and 
ruined,  not  one  stone  remaining  to  tell  the 
tale  of  the  city  that  had  been.  Slowly  it 
emerged  from  the  wreck,  a  village  rather 
than  a  town;  once  in  awhile  its  bishops 

220 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

are  mentioned,  living  rather  in  Toledo  than 
in  their  humble  see. 

The  Arab  invasion  devastated  a  second 
time  the  growing  town;  perhaps  it  was 
Alfonso  I.  himself  who  completely  wrecked 
it,  for  the  Moorish  frontier  was  to  the 
north  of  the  city,  and  it  was  the  sovereign’s 
tactics  to  raze  to  the  ground  all  cities  he 
could  not  keep,  when  he  made  a  risky  in¬ 
cursion  into  hostile  country. 

So  Palencia  was  forgotten  until  the 
eleventh  century,  when  Sancho  el  Mayor, 
King  of  Navarra,  who  had  conquered  this 
part  of  Castile,  reestablished  the  long- 
ignored  see.  He  was  hunting  among  the 
weeds  that  covered  the  ruins  of  what  had 
once  been  a  Roman  fortress,  when  a  boar 
sprang  out  of  cover  in  front  of  him  and 
escaped.  Being  light  of  foot,  the  king  fol¬ 
lowed  the  animal  until  it  disappeared  in  a 
cave,  or  what  appeared  to  be  such,  though 
it  really  was  a  subterranean  chapel  dedi¬ 
cated  to  the  martyrs,  or  to  the  patron  saint 
of  old  Pallantia,  namely,  San  Antolin. 

The  hunted  beast  cowered  down  in  front 
of  the  altar;  the  king  lifted  his  arm  to  spear 
it,  when  lo,  his  arm  was  detained  in  mid¬ 
air  by  an  invisible  hand!  Immediately  the 

221 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

monarch  prostrated  himself  before  the  mi¬ 
raculous  effigy  of  the  saint;  he  acknowledged 
his  sacrilegious  sin,  and  prayed  for  forgive¬ 
ness;  the  boar  escaped,  the  monarch’s  arm 
fell  to  his  side,  and  a  few  days  later  the 
see  was  reestablished,  a  church  was  erected 
above  the  subterranean  chapel,  and  Ber¬ 
nardo  was  appointed  the  first  bishop  (1035). 
After  Sancho’s  death,  his  son  Ferdinand, 
who,  as  we  have  seen,  managed  to  unite  for 
the  first  time  all  Northern  Spain  beneath  his 
sceptre,  made  it  a  point  of  honour  to  favour 
the  see  his  father  had  erected  a  few  months 
before  his  death,  an  example  followed  by  all 
later  monarchs  until  the  times  of  Isabel  the 
Catholic. 

A  surprising  number  of  houses  were  soon 
built  around  the  cathedral,  and  the  city’s  fu¬ 
ture  was  most  promising.  Its  bishops  were 
among  the  noble-blooded  of  the  land,  and  en¬ 
joyed  such  exceptional  privileges  as  gave  them 
power  and  wealth  rarely  equalled  in  the 
history  of  the  middle  ages.  But  then,  the 
city  had  been  built  for  the  church  and  not 
the  church  for  the  city,  and  it  is  not  to  be 
marvelled  at  that  the  prelates  bore  the  title  of 
“  hecho  un  rey  y  un  papa  ”  —  king  and  pope. 
The  greater  part  of  these  princes,  it  is  true, 

222 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

lived  at  court  rather  than  in  their  episcopal 
see,  which  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  reasons  why 
Palencia  failed  to  emulate  with  Burgos  and 
Valladolid,  though  at  one  time  it  was  the 
residence  of  some  of  the  kings  of  Castile. 

Moreover,  being  only  second  in  impor¬ 
tance  to  the  two  last  named  cities,  Palencia 
was  continually  the  seat  of  dissident  noble¬ 
men  and  thwarted  heirs  to  the  throne;  be¬ 
cause  these  latter,  being  unable  to  conquer 
the  capital,  or  Valladolid,  invariably  sought 
to  establish  themselves  in  Palencia,  sometimes 
successfully,  at  others  being  obliged  to  re¬ 
treat  from  the  city  walls.  The  story  of  the 
town  is  consequently  one  of  the  most  adven¬ 
turous  and  varied  to  be  read  in  Spanish 
history,  and  it  is  due  to  the  side  it  took  in 
the  rebellion  against  Charles-Quint,  in  the 
time  of  the  Comuneros,  that  it  was  finally 
obliged  to  cede  its  place  definitely  to  Valla¬ 
dolid,  and  lost  its  importance  as  one  of  the 
three  cities  of  Castilla  la  Vieja. 

It  remains  to  be  mentioned  that  Palencia 
was  the  seat  of  the  first  Spanish  university 
(Christian,  not  Moorish),  previous  to  either 
that  of  Salamanca  or  Alcala.  In  1208  this 
educational  institution  was  founded  by 
Alfonso  VIII. ;  professors  were  procured 

223 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

from  Italy  and  France,  and  a  building  was 
erected  beside  the  cathedral  and  under  its 
protecting  wing.  It  did  not  survive  the 
monarch’s  death,  however,  for  the  reign  of 
the  latter’s  son  left  but  little  spare  time  for 
science  and  letters,  and  in  1248  it  was  closed, 
though  twenty  years  later  Pope  Urbano  IV. 
futilely  endeavoured  to  reestablish  it.  Ac¬ 
cording  to  a  popular  tradition,  it  owed  its 
definite  death  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  town, 
who,  bent  upon  venging  an  outrage  com¬ 
mitted  by  one  of  the  students  upon  a  daughter 
of  the  city,  fell  upon  them  one  night  at  a 
given  signal  and  killed  them  to  the  last  man. 

In  the  fourteenth  century,  the  cathedral, 
which  had  suffered  enormously  from  sieges 
and  from  the  hands  of  enemies,  was  entirely 
pulled  down  and  a  new  one  built  on  the  same 
spot  (June,  1321).  The  subterranean  chapel, 
which  had  been  the  cause  of  the  city’s  resur¬ 
rection,  was  still  the  central  attraction  and 
relic  of  the  cathedral,  and,  according  to  an¬ 
other  legend,  no  less  marvellous  than  that 
of  Toribio,  its  genuineness  has  been  placed 
definitely  (?)  without  the  pale  of  skeptic 
doubts.  It  appears  that  one  Pedro,  Bishop 
of  Osma  (St.  Peter  of  Osma?),  was  praying 
before  the  effigy  of  San  Antolin  when  the 

224 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

lights  went  out.  The  pious  yet  doubting 
prelate  prayed  to  God  to  give  him  a  proof  of 
the  relic’s  authenticity  by  lighting  the  can¬ 
dles.  To  his  surprise  (?)  and  glee,  the 
candles  lit  by  themselves  I 

Let  us  approach  the  city  by  rail.  The  train 
leaves  Venta  de  Banos,  a  junction  station 
with  a  village  about  two  miles  away  possess¬ 
ing  a  seventh-century  Visigothic  church 
which  offers  the  great  peculiarity  of  horse¬ 
shoe  arches  in  its  structure,  dating  from  be¬ 
fore  the  Arab  invasion. 

Immediately  upon  emerging  from  the 
station,  the  train  enters  an  immense  rolling 
plain  of  a  ruddy,  sandy  appearance,  with 
here  and  there  an  isolated  sand-hill  crowned 
by  the  forgotten  ruins  of  a  mediaeval  castle. 

The  capital  of  this  region  is  Palencia. 

The  erection  of  the  cathedral  church  of  the 
town  was  begun  in  1321 ;  it  was  dedicated  to 
the  Mother  and  Child,  and  to  San  Antolin, 
whose  chapel,  devoid  of  all  artistic  merit,  is 
still  to  be  seen  beneath  the  choir. 

This  edifice  was  finished  toward  1550.  The 
same  division  as  has  been  observed  in  the 
history  of  the  city  can  be  applied  to  the 
temple:  at  first  it  was  intended  to  construct 

225 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


a  modest  Gothic  church  of  red  sandstone; 
the  apse  with  its  five  chapels  and  traditional 
ambulatory  was  erected,  as  well  as  the  tran¬ 
sept  and  the  high  altar  terminating  the 
central  nave.  Then,  after  about  a  hundred 
years  had  passed  away,  the  original  plan 
was  altered  by  lengthening  the  body  of  the 
building.  Consequently  the  chapel  of  the 
high  altar  was  too  small  in  comparison  with 
the  enlarged  proportions,  and  it  was  trans¬ 
formed  into  a  parish  chapel.  Opposite  it, 
and  to  the  west  of  the  old  transept,  another 
high  altar  was  constructed  in  the  central  nave, 
and  a  second  transept  separated  it  from 
the  choir  which  followed. 

In  other  words,  and  looking  at  this  curious 
monument  as  it  stands  to-day,  the  central 
nave  is  surmounted  by  an  ogival  vaulting  of  a 
series  of  ten  vaults.  The  first  transept  cuts 
the  nave  beneath  the  sixth,  and  the  second 
beneath  the  ninth  vault.  (Vault  No.  i 
is  at  the  western  end  of  the  church.)  Both 
transepts  protrude  literally  beyond  the  gen¬ 
eral  width  of  the  building.  The  choir  stands 
beneath  the  fourth  and  fifth  vaults,  and  the 
high  altar  between  the  two  transepts,  occupy¬ 
ing  the  seventh  and  eighth  space.  Beneath 
the  tenth  stands  the  parish  chapel  or  ex-high 

226 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


altar,  behind  which  runs  the  ambulatory,  on 
the  off-side  of  which  are  situated  the  five 
apsidal  chapels.  Consequently  the  second 
transept  separates  the  old  from  the  new  high 
altar. 

In  spite  of  the  low  aisles  and  nave,  and 
the  absence  of  sculptural  motives  so  pro¬ 
nounced  in  Burgos,  the  effect  produced  on  the 
spectator  by  the  double  cross  and  the  unusual 
length  as  compared  with  the  width  is 
agreeable.  The  evident  lack  of  unity  in  the 
Gothic  structure  is  recompensed  by  the 
original  and  pleasing  plan. 

The  final  judgment  that  can  be  emitted 
concerning  this  cathedral  church,  when  seen 
from  the  outside,  is  that  it  shows  the  typical 
Spanish-Gothic  characteristic,  namely,  heavi¬ 
ness  as  contrasted  to  pure  ogival  lightness. 
There  is  poverty  in  the  decorative  details, 
and  solemnity  in  the  interior;  the  appear¬ 
ance  from  the  outside  is  of  a  fortress  rather 
than  a  temple,  with  slightly  pointed  Gothic 
windows,  and  a  heavy  and  solid,  rather  than 
an  elegant  and  light,  general  structure.  Only 
the  cathedral  church  of  Palencia  outgrew 
the  original  model  and  took  the  strange  and 
exotic  form  it  possesses  to-day,  without  losing 
its  fortress-like  aspect. 

227 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Though  really  built  in  stone  (see  the  col¬ 
umns  and  pillars  in  the  interior),  brick  has 
been  largely  used  in  the  exterior;  hence  also 
the  impossibility  of  erecting  a  pure  Gothic 
building,  and  this  is  a  remark  that  can  be 
applied  to  most  churches  in  Spain.  The 
buttresses  are  heavy,  the  square  tower  (un¬ 
finished)  is  Romanesque  or  Mudejar  in  form 
rather  than  Gothic,  though  the  windows  be 
ogival.  There  is  no  western  fagade  or 
portal;  the  tower  is  situated  on  the  southern 
side  between  the  true  transepts. 

Of  the  four  doorways,  two  to  the  north 
and  two  to  the  south,  which  give  access  to  the 
transepts,  the  largest  and  richest  in  sculptural 
decoration  is  the  Bishop’s  Door  (south). 
Observe  the  geometrical  designs  in  the  panels 
of  the  otherwise  ogival  and  slightly  pointed 
doorway.  The  other  portal  on  the  south  is 
far  simpler,  and  the  arch  which  surmounts 
it  is  of  a  purer  Gothic  style;  not  so  the 
geometrically  decorated  panels  and  the 
almost  Arabian  frieze  which  runs  above  the 
arches.  This  frieze  is  Moorish  or  Mudejar- 
Byzantine,  and  though  really  it  does  not 
belong  in  an  ogival  building,  it  harmonizes 
strangely  with  it. 

In  the  interior  of  the  cathedral  the  naked- 

228 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

ness  of  the  columns  is  partially  recompensed 
by  the  richness  in  sculptural  design  of  some 
sepulchres,  as  well  as  by  several  sixteenth- 
century  grilles.  The  huge  retablo  of  the  high 
altar  shows  Gothic  luxuriousness  in  its  details, 
and  at  the  same  time  (in  the  capitals  of 
the  flanking  columns)  nascent  plateresque 
severity. 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  corner  of  the 
interior  is  the  trascoro,  or  the  exterior  side 
of  the  wall  which  closes  the  choir  on  the 
west.  Here  the  patronizing  genius  of  Bishop 
Fonseca,  a  scion  of  the  celebrated  Castilian 
family,  excelled  itself.  The  wall  itself  is 
richly  sculptured,  and  possesses  two  fine 
lateral  reliefs.  In  the  centre  there  is  a 
Flemish  canvas  of  the  sixteenth  century,  of 
excellent  colour,  and  an  elegantly  carved 
pulpit. 

In  the  chapter-room  are  to  be  seen  some 
well-preserved  Flemish  tapestries,  and  in  an 
apsidal  chapel  is  one  of  Zurbaran’s  mystic 
subjects:  a  praying  nun.  (This  portrait,  I  be¬ 
lieve,  has  been  sold  or  donated  by  the  chapter, 
for,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  it  is  to  be  seen 
to-day  in  the  art  collection  of  the  Spanish 
royal  family.) 


229 


II 


ZAMORA 

Whatever  may  have  been  the  origin  of 
Zamora,  erroneously  confounded  with  that  of 
Numantia,  it  is  not  until  the  ninth  century 
that  the  city,  or  frontier  fortress,  appears  in 
history  as  an  Arab  stronghold,  taken  from 
the  Moors  and  fortified  anew  by  Alfonso  I. 
or  by  his  son  Froila,  and  necessarily  lost  and 
regained  by  Christians  and  Moors  a  hun¬ 
dred  times  over  in  such  terrible  battles  as 
the  celebrated  and  much  sung  dia  de  Zamora 
in  901.  In  939  another  famous  siege  of  the 
town  was  undertaken  by  infidel  hordes,  but 
the  strength  of  the  citadel  and  the  numer¬ 
ous  moats,  six  it  appears  they  were  in  num¬ 
ber,  separated  by  high  walls  surrounding  the 
town,  were  invincible,  and  the  Arab  warriors 
had  to  retreat.  Nevertheless,  between  900 
and  980  the  fortress  was  lost  five  times  by 
the  Christians.  The  last  Moor  to  take  it  was 
Almanzor,  who  razed  it  to  the  ground  and 


230 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

then  repopulated  it  with  Arabs  from  Anda¬ 
lusia. 

Previously,  in  905,  the  parish  church  had 
been  raised  to  an  episcopal  see;  the  first  to 
occupy  it  being  one  Atilano,  canonized  later 
by  Pope  Urbano  II. 

Ten  years  after  this  bishop  had  taken  pos¬ 
session  of  his  spiritual  throne,  he  was  troubled 
by  certain  religious  scruples,  and,  putting  on 
a  pilgrim’s  robe,  he  distributed  his  re, venues 
among  the  parish  poor  and  left  the  city. 
Crossing  the  bridge,  —  still  standing  to-day 
and  leading  from  the  town  to  Portugal,  —  he 
threw  his  pastoral  ring  into  the  river,  swear¬ 
ing  he  would  only  reoccupy  the  lost  see 
when  the  ring  should  have  been  given  back 
into  his  hands;  should  this  happen,  it  would 
prove  that  the  Almighty  had  pardoned  his 
sins. 

For  two  years  he  roamed  about  visiting 
shrines  and  succouring  the  poor;  at  last  one 
day  he  dreamed  that  his  Master  ordered  him 
to  repair  immediately  to  his  see,  where  he 
was  sorely  needed.  Returning  to  Zamora,  he 
passed  the  night  in  a  neighbouring  hermitage, 
and  while  supping  —  it  must  have  been 
Friday!  —  in  the  belly  of  the  fish  he  was 
eating  he  discovered  his  pastoral  ring. 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

The  following  day  the  church-bells  were 
rung  by  an  invisible  hand,  and  the  pilgrim, 
entering  the  city,  was  hailed  as  a  saint  by 
the  inhabitants;  the  same  invisible  hands  took 
off  his  pilgrim’s  clothes  and  dressed  him  in 
rich  episcopal  garments.  He  took  possession 
of  his  see,  dying  in  the  seventh  year  of  his 
second  reign. 

Almanzor  el  terrible,  on  the  last  powerful 
raid  the  Moors  were  to  make,  buried  the 
Christian  see  beneath  the  ruins  of  the  cathe¬ 
dral,  and  erected  a  mezquita  to  glorify  Allah; 
fifteen  years  later  the  city  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  Christians  again,  and  saw  no  more  an 
Arab  army  beneath  its  walls. 

It  was  not,  however,  until  125  years  later 
that  the  ruined  episcopal  see  was  reestab¬ 
lished  de  modernis,  the  first  bishop  being 
Bernardo  (1124). 

But  previous  to  the  above  date,  an  event 
took  place  in  and  around  Zamora  that  has 
given  national  fame  to  the  city,  and  has  made 
it  the  centre  of  a  Spanish  Iliad  hardly  less 
poetic  or  dramatic  than  the  Homerian  legend, 
and  therefore  well  worth  narrating  as  per¬ 
haps  unique  in  the  peninsula,  not  to  say  in 
the  history  of  the  middle  ages. 

When  Fernando  I.  of  Castile  died  in 
232 


The  Cathedrals  of  Novthern  Spain 

1065,  he  left  his  vast  territories  to  his  five 
children,  bequeathing  Castile  to  his  eldest 
son  Sancho,  Galicia  to  Garcia,  Leon  to 
Alfonso,  Toro  to  Elvira,  and  Zamora  to 
Urraca,  who  was  the  eldest  daughter,  and, 
with  Sancho,  the  bravest  and  most  intrepid 
of  the  five  children. 

According  to  the  romance  of  Zamora,  she, 
Dona  Urraca,  worried  her  father’s  last 
moments  by  trying  to  wheedle  more  than 
Zamora  out  of  him;  but  the  king  was  firm, 
adding  only  the  following  curse: 

“  ‘  Quien  os  la  tomara ,  hija, 

La  mi  maldicidn  le  caiga  /  ’  — - 
Todos  dicen  am  hi,  am  in, 

Sino  Don  Sancho  que  calla 


Which  in  other  words  means:  “Let  my 
curse  fall  on  whomsoever  endeavours  to  take 
Zamora  from  you.  .  .  .  Those  who  were 
present  agreed  by  saying  amen;  only  the 
eldest  son,  Don  Sancho,  remained  silent.” 

The  latter,  being  ambitious,  dethroned  his 
brothers  and  sent  them  flying  across  the 
frontier  to  Andalusia,  then  Moorish  territory. 
Toro  also  submitted  to  him,  but  not  so 
Zamora,  held  by  the  dauntless  Urraca  and 
the  governor  of  the  citadel,  Arias  Gonzalo. 

233 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


So  it  was  besieged  by  the  royal  troops  and 
asked  to  surrender,  the  message  being  taken 
by  the  great  Cid  from  Don  Sancho  to  his 
sister.  She,  of  course,  refused  to  give  up 
the  town.  Wherefore  is  not  known,  but 
the  fact  is  that  the  Cid,  the  ablest  warrior  in 
the  hostile  army,  after  having  carried  the 
embassy  to  the  Infanta,  left  the  king's  army; 
the  many  romances  which  treat  of  this  siege 
accuse  him  of  having  fallen  in  love  with 
Dona  Urraca's  lovely  eyes,  —  a  love  that  was 
perhaps  reciprocated, — who  knows? 

In  short,  the  city  was  besieged  during  nine 
months.  Hunger,  starvation,  and  illness 
glared  at  the  besieged.  On  the  point  of 
surrendering,  they  were  beseeched  by  the 
Infanta  to  hold  out  nine  days  longer;  in 
the  meantime  one  Vellido  Dolfo,  famous  in 
song,  emerged  by  the  city’s  postern  gate  and 
went  to  King  Sancho's  camp,  saying  that  he 
was  tired  of  serving  Doha  Uiraca,  with 
whom  He  had  had  a  dispute,  and  that  he 
would  show  the  king  how  to  enter  the  city 
by  a  secret  path. 

According  to  the  romances,  it  would  ap¬ 
pear  that  the  king  was  warned  by  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  themselves  against  the  traitorous  inten¬ 
tions  of  Vellido.  “  Take  care,  King  Sancho,” 

234 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

they  shouted  from  the  walls,  “  and  remember 
that  we  warn  you;  a  traitor  has  left  the 
city  gates  who  has  already  committed  treason 
four  times,  and  is  about  to  commit  the  fifth." 

The  king  did  not  hearken,  as  is  generally 
the  case,  and  went  out  walking  with  the 
knight  who  was  to  show  him  the  secret  gate ; 
he  never  returned,  being  killed  by  a  spear- 
thrust  under  almost  similar  circumstances 
to  Siegfried's. 

The  father's  curse  had  thus  been  fulfilled. 

The  traitor  returned  to  the  city,  and, 
strange  to  say.  was  not  punished,  or  only  in¬ 
sufficiently  so;  consequently,  it  is  to-day  be¬ 
lieved  that  the  sister  of  the  murdered  monarch 
had  a  hand  in  the  crime.  Upon  Vellido's 
return  to  the  besieged  town,  the  governor 
wished  to  imprison  him  —  which  in  those 
days  meant  more  than  confinement  —  but  the 
Infanta  objected:  it  is  even  stated  that  the 
traitor  spoke  with  his  heartless  mistress,  say¬ 
ing:  **  It  was  time  the  promise  should  be 
fulfilled.” 

In  the  meanwhile,  from  the  besieging 
army  a  solitary  knight.  Diego  Ordonez,  rode 
up  to  the  city  walls,  and  accusing  the  in¬ 
habitants  of  felony  and  treason,  both  men 
and  women,  young  and  old.  living  and  dead. 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

born  and  to  be  born,  he  challenged  them 
to  a  duel.  It  had  to  be  accepted,  and,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  laws  of  chivalry,  the  chal¬ 
lenger  had  to  meet  in  single  combat  five 
champions,  one  after  another,  for  he  had 
insulted,  not  a  single  man,  but  a  community. 

The  gray-haired  governor  of  the  fortress 
reserved  for  himself  and  his  four  sons  the 
duty  of  accepting  the  challenge;  the  In¬ 
fanta  beseeched  him  in  vain  to  desist  from 
his  enterprise,  but  he  was  firm:  his  mistress’s 
honour  was  at  stake.  At  last,  persuaded  by 
royal  tears,  according  to  the  romance,  he 
agreed  to  let  his  sons  precede  him,  and, 
only  in  case  it  should  be  necessary,  would 
he  take  the  last  turn. 

The  eldest  son  left  the  city  gates,  blessed 
by  the  weeping  father;  his  helmet  and  head 
were  cleft  in  twain  by  Diego  Ordonez’s 
terrible  sword,  and  the  latter’s  ironical  shout 
was  heard  addressing  the  governor: 

“  Don  Arias,  send  me  hither  another  of 
your  charming  sons,  because  this  one  can¬ 
not  bear  you  the  message.” 

A  second  and  third  son  went  forth,  meet¬ 
ing  the  same  fate:  but  the  latter’s  wounded 
horse,  in  throwing  its  rider,  ran  blindly  into 
Ordonez  and  knocked  him  out  of  the  ring; 

236 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

the  duel  was  therefore  judged  to  be  a 
draw. 

Several  days  afterward  Alfonso,  the  dead 
king’s  younger  brother,  hurried  up  from 
Toledo,  and  after  swearing  in  Burgos  that 
he  had  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  felonious 
murder,  was  anointed  King  of  Castile,  Leon, 
and  Galicia.  His  brave  sister  Urraca  lived 
with  him  at  court,  giving  him  useful  advice, 
until  she  retired  to  a  convent,  and  at  her 
death  left  her  palace  and  her  fortune  to 
the  Collegiate  Church  at  Leon. 

The  remaining  history  of  Zamora  is  one 
interminable  list  of  revolts,  sieges,  massacres, 
and  duels.  As  frontier  fortress  against  Por¬ 
tugal  in  the  west,  its  importance  as  the  last 
garrison  town  on  the  Duero  was  exceptional, 
and  consequently,  though  it  never  became 
important  as  a  metropolis,  as  a  stronghold 
it  was  one  of  Castile’s  most  strategical  points. 

The  best  view  of  the  city  is  obtained 
from  the  southern  shore  of  the  Duero;  on 
a  low  hill  opposite  the  spectator,  the  city 
walls  run  east  and  west;  behind  them,  to 
the  left,  the  castle  towers  loom  up,  square 
and  Byzantine  in  appearance;  immediately 
to  the  right  the  cathedral  nave  forms  a  hori- 

237 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

zontal  line  to  where  the  cimborio  practi¬ 
cally  terminates  the  church.  Thus  from  afar 
it  seems  as  though  the  castle  tower  were 
part  of  the  religious  edifice,  and  the  gen¬ 
eral  appearance  of  the  whole  city  surrounded 
by  massive  walls  cannot  be  more  warlike.  The 
colour  also  of  the  ruddy  sandstone  and  brick, 
brilliant  beneath  a  bright  blue  sky,  is  char¬ 
acteristic  of  this  part  of  Castile,  and  cer¬ 
tainly  constitutes  one  of  its  charms.  What 
is  more,  the  landscape  is  rendered  more 
exotic  or  African  by  the  Oriental  appearance 
of  the  whole  town,  its  castle,  and  its  cathe¬ 
dral. 

The  latter  was  begun  and  ended  in  the 
twelfth  century;  the  first  stone  was  laid 
in  1 1 5 1 ,  and  the  vaults  were  closed  twenty- 
three  years  later,  in  1174;  consequently  it 
is  one  of  the  unique  twelfth-century  churches 
in  Spain  completed  before  the  year  1200.  It 
is  true  that  the  original  edifice  has  been 
deformed  by  posterior  additions  and  changes 
dating  from  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  cen¬ 
turies. 

Excepting  these  abominable  additions,  the 
primitive  building  is  Romanesque;  not 
Romanesque  as  are  the  cathedrals  we  have 
seen  in  Galicia,  but  Byzantine,  or  military 

2  38 


A>i  OIL,. 


ZAMORA 

CATHEDRAL 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


Romanesque,  showing  decided  Oriental  in¬ 
fluences.  Would  to  Heaven  the  cathedral  of 
Zamora  were  to-day  as  it  stood  in  the 
twelfth  century! 

The  form  of  the  church  is  that  of  a  basil¬ 
ica.  Like  the  cathedral  of  Palencia,  it 
lacks  a  western  front;  the  apse  is  semicir¬ 
cular,  strengthened  by  heavy  leaning  but¬ 
tresses;  the  upper,  towerless  rim  of  this  same 
body  is  decorated  with  an  ogival  festoon 
set  off  by  means  of  the  primitive  pinnacles 
of  the  top  of  the  buttresses.  The  northern 
(Renaissance  or  plateresque)  front  is,  though 
beautiful  and  severe  in  itself,  a  calamity  when 
compared  with  the  Romanesque  edifice,  as 
is  also  the  new  and  horrid  clock-tower. 

The  view  of  the  southern  end  of  the  tran¬ 
sept,  as  seen  from  the  left,  is  the  most  im¬ 
posing  to  be  obtained  of  the  building.  Two 
flights  of  steps  lead  up  to  the  Romanesque 
portal,  flanked  by  three  simple  pillars,  which 
support  three  rounded  arches  deeply  den- 
tated(!).  Blind  windows,  similar  in 
structure  to  the  portal,  occupy  the  second 
body  of  the  fagade,  and  are  surmounted  in 
their  turn  by  a  simple  row  of  inverted  crene¬ 
lated  teeth,  showing  in  their  rounded  edges 
the  timid  use  of  the  horseshoe  arc.  The 

239 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

superior  body  is  formed  by  two  concentric 
and  slightly  ogival  arches  embedded  in  the 
wall. 

The  greatest  attraction,  and  that  which 
above  all  gives  a  warlike  aspect  to  the  whole 
building,  is  the  cimborio,  or  lantern  of  the 
croisee.  Flanked  by  four  circular  turrets, 
which  are  pierced  by  round-topped  win¬ 
dows  and  surmounted  by  Oriental  domes  that 
add  a  stunted,  solid  appearance  to  the  whole, 
the  principal  cupola  rises  to  the  same  height 
as  the  previously  mentioned  turrets.  The 
whole  is  a  marvel  of  simple  architectural 
resource  within  the  narrow  limits  of  the 
round-arched  style.  What  is  more,  though 
this  cupola  and  that  of  Santiago  belong  to  the 
same  period,  what  a  world  of  difference 
between  the  two!  Seen  as  indicated  above, 
the  factura  of  the  whole  is  intensely  Oriental 
(excepting  the  addition  of  the  triangular 
cornices  emerging  from  beneath  the  cupola), 
and,  it  ma3T  be  said  in  parenthesis,  exception¬ 
ally  fine.  Besides,  the  high  walls  of  the 
aisles,  as  compared  with  the  stunted  growth 
of  the  cimborio,  and  with  the  compact  and 
slightly  angular  form  of  the  entire  building, 
lend  an  unrivalled  aspect  of  solidity,  strength, 
and  resistance  to  the  twelfth-century  cathe- 

240 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

dral  church,  so  intrinsically  different  from 
that  of  Santiago. 

The  interior  is  no  less  peculiar,  and  par¬ 
ticularly  so  beneath  the  lantern  of  the 
croisee.  The  latter  is  composed  of  more 
than  a  dozen  windows,  slightly  ogival  in 
shape,  though  from  the  outside  the  pillars 
of  the  flanking  turrets  support  round-headed 
arches;  these  windows  are  separated  from 
each  other  by  simple  columns  or  shafts. 
Again,  what  a  difference  between  this  solid 
and  simple  cimborio  and  the  marvellous 
lantern  of  the  cathedral  at  Burgos!  Two 
ages,  two  generations,  even  two  ideals,  are 
represented  in  both;  the  earlier,  the  stronger, 
in  Zamora;  the  later,  the  more  aerial  and 
elaborate,  in  Burgos. 

Another  Romanesque  characteristic  is  the 
approximate  height  of  nave  and  aisles.  This 
circumstance  examined  from  within  or  from 
without  is  one  of  the  causes  of  the  solid 
appearance  of  the  church;  the  windows  of 
the  aisles  —  unimportant,  it  is  true,  from 
an  artistic  point  of  view  —  are  slightly 
ogival;  those  of  the  nave  are  far  more 
primitive  and  round-headed. 

The  transept,  originally  of  the  same  length 
as  the  width  of  the  church,  was  prolonged  in 

241 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


the  fifteenth  century.  (On  the  south  side 
also?  ...  It  is  extremely  doubtful,  as  the 
southern  fagade  previously  described  is 
hardly  a  fifteenth-century  construction;  on 
the  other  hand,  that  on  the  north  side  is  easily 
classified  as  posterior  to  the  general  con¬ 
struction  of  the  building.) 

Further,  the  western  end,  lacking  a  fagade, 
is  terminated  by  an  apse,  that  is,  each  aisle 
and  the  central  nave  run  into  a  chapel.  The 
effect  of  this  double  apse  is  highly  peculiar, 
especially  as  seen  from  within,  with  chapels 
to  the  east  and  chapels  to  the  west. 

The  retahlo  is  of  indifferent  workmanship; 
the  choir  stalls,  on  the  other  hand,  are  among 
the  most  exquisitely  wrought  —  simple,  sober, 
and  natural  —  to  be  seen  in  Spain,  especially 
those  of  the  lower  row. 

The  chapels  are  as  usual  in  Spanish  cathe¬ 
drals,  as  different  in  style  as  they  are  in  size; 
none  of  those  in  Zamora  can  be  considered 
as  artistic  jewels.  The  best  is  doubtless  that 
which  terminates  the  southern  aisles  on  the 
western  end  of  the  church,  where  the  princi¬ 
pal  fagade  ought  to  have  been  placed.  It 
is  Gothic,  rich  in  its  decoration,  but  showing 
here  and  there  the  decadence  of  the  northern 
style. 


242 


The  Cathedrals  of  Xorthem  Spain 

The  cloister  —  well,  anywhere  else  it 
might  have  been  praised  for  its  plateresque 
simplicity  and  severity,  but  here !  —  it  is 
out  of  date  and  place. 

To  conclude,  the  general  characteristics  of 
the  cathedral  of  Zamora  are  such  as  justify 
the  opinion  that  the  edifice,  especially  as 
its  Byzantine-Oriental  and  severe  primitive 
structure  is  concerned,  is  one  of  the  great 
churches  that  can  still  be  admired  in  Spain, 
in  spite  of  the  reduced  size  and  of  the  addi¬ 
tions  which  have  been  introduced. 


Note.  —  To  the  traveller  interested  in  church  architecture.  the 
anther  wishes  to  draw  attention  to  the  parish  church  of  La  Magdalen 
in  Zamora.  The  northern  portal  of  the  same  is  one  of  the  most  per¬ 
fect  —  if  not  the  most  perfect  —  specimen  of  Bvzar.rire-Rciraues.cne 
decoration  to  be  met  with  in  Spain.  It  is  perhaps  unique  in  the 
world.  At  the  same  time,  the  severe  Oriental  appearance  of  the 
church,  both  from  the  outside  and  as  seen  from  within,  cannot  fail  to 
draw  the  attention  of  the  most  casual  observer. 


243 


Ill 


TORO 

To  the  west  of  Valladolid,  on  the  river 
Duero,  Toro,  the  second  of  the  two  great 
fortress  cities,  uplifts  its  Alcazar  to  the  blue 
sky;  like  Zamora,  it  owed  its  fame  to  its 
strategic  position:  first,  as  one  of  the  Chris¬ 
tian  outposts  to  the  north  of  the  Duero 
against  the  Arab  possessions  to  the  south,  and, 
secondly,  as  a  link  between  Valladolid  and 
Zamora,  the  latter  being  the  bulwark  of 
Christian  opposition  against  the  ever  en¬ 
croaching  Portuguese. 

Twin  cities  the  fortresses  have  been  called, 
and  no  better  expression  is  at  hand  to  denote 
at  once  the  similarity  of  their  history,  their 
necessary  origin,  and  their  necessary  deca¬ 
dence. 

Nevertheless,  Toro  appears  in  history 
somewhat  later  than  Zamora,  having  been 
erected  either  on  virgin  soil,  or  upon  the 
ruins  of  a  destroyed  Arab  fortress  as  late  as 

244 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

in  the  tenth  century,  by  Garcia,  son  of 
Alfonso  III.  At  any  rate,  it  was  not  until  a 
century  later,  in  1065,  that  the  city  attained 
any  importance,  when  Fernando  I.  be¬ 
queathed  it  to  his  daughter  Elvira,  who, 
seeing  her  elder  brother’s  impetuous  ambi¬ 
tions,  handed  over  the  town  and  the  citadel 
to  him. 

Throughout  the  middle  ages  the  name  of 
Toro  is  foremost  among  the  important  for¬ 
tresses  of  Castile,  and  many  an  event  — 
generally  tragic  and  bloody  —  took  place 
behind  its  walls.  Here  Alfonso  XI.  mur¬ 
dered  his  uncle  in  cold  blood,  and  Don 
Pedro  el  Cruel,  after  besieging  the  town 
and  the  citadel  held  in  opposition  to  him  by 
his  mother,  allowed  her  a  free  exit  with 
the  gentlemen  defenders  of  the  place,  but 
broke  his  word  when  they  were  on  the  bridge, 
and  murdered  all  excepting  his  widowed 
mother! 

In  the  days  of  Isabel  the  Catholic,  Toro 
was  taken  by  the  kings  of  Portugal,  who 
upheld  the  claims  of  Enrique  IV’s  illegiti¬ 
mate  daughter,  Juana  la  Beltranaja.  In 
the  vicinity  of  the  town,  the  great  battle  of 
Pelea  Gonzalo  was  fought,  which  gave 
the  western  part  of  Castile  to  the  rightful 

245 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

sovereigns.  This  battle  is  famous  for  the 
many  prelates  and  curates  who,  armed,  — 
and  wearing  trousers  and  not  frocks  1  — 
fought  like  Christians  ( !)  in  the  ranks. 

In  Toro,  Cortes  was  assembled  in  1505  to 
open  Queen  Isabel’s  testament,  and  to  pro¬ 
mulgate  those  laws  which  have  gone  down 
in  Spanish  history  as  the  Leyes  de  Toro; 
this  was  the  last  spark  of  Toro’s  fame,  for 
since  then  its  fate  has  been  identical  with 
that  of  Zamora,  forty  miles  away. 

Strictly  speaking,  it  is  doubtful  if  Toro 
ever  was  a  city;  at  one  time  it  seems  to  have 
possessed  an  ephemeral  bishop,  —  at  least 
such  is  the  popular  belief,  —  who  must  have 
reigned  in  his  see  but  a  short  time,  as  at  an 
early  date  the  city  was  submitted  to  the 
ecclesiastical  jurisdiction  of  Astorga.  Later, 
when  the  see  was  reestablished  in  Zamora, 
the  latter’s  twin  sister,  Toro,  was  definitely 
included  in  the  new  episcopal  diocese. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  the  Catholic  kings  raised 
the  church  at  Toro  to  a  collegiate  in  the  six¬ 
teenth  century  (1500?)  because  they  were 
anxious  to  gain  the  good-will  of  the  inhabi¬ 
tants  after  the  Portuguese  invasion. 

Built  either  toward  the  end  of  the  twelfth 
or  the  beginning  of  the  thirteenth  century, 

246 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Santa  Maria  la  Mayor,  popularly  called 
la  catedral,  closely  resembles  the  cathedral 
church  at  Zamora.  The  style  is  the  same 
(Byzantine-Romanesque) ,  and  the  impression 
of  strength  and  solidity  produced  by  the 
warlike  aspect  of  the  building  is  even  more 
pronounced  than  in  the  case  of  the  sister 
church. 

The  general  plan  is  that  of  a  basilica, 
rectangular  in  shape,  with  a  three-lobed 
apse,  the  central  lobe  being  by  far  the  largest 
in  size,  and  a  transept  which  protrudes 
slightly  beyond  the  width  of  the  church. 
This  transept  is  situated  immediately  in 
front  of  the  apse;  the  croisee  is  surmounted 
by  the  handsome  cimborio,  larger  than  that 
at  Zamora,  pierced  by  twice  as  many  round- 
topped  windows,  but  lacking  a  cupola,  as 
do  also  the  flanking  towers,  which  are  flat- 
topped.  Above  and  between  these  latter,  the 
cone-shaped  roof  of  the  cimborio,  properly 
speaking,  is  sloping  and  triangular  in  its 
cross-section. 

This  body,  less  Oriental  in  appearance  than 
the  one  in  Zamora,  impresses  one  with  a  feel¬ 
ing  of  greater  awe,  thanks  to  the  great  diam¬ 
eter  as  compared  with  the  foreshortened 
height.  Crowning  as  it  does  the  apse  (from 

247 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

the  proximity  of  the  transept  to  the  head  of 
the  church),  the  croisee,  and  the  two  wings 
of  the  transept,  the  cupola  in  question  pro¬ 
duces  a  weird  and  incomprehensible  effect 
on  the  spectator  viewing  it  from  the  south¬ 
east.  The  more  modern  tower,  which  backs 
the  cimborio,  lends,  it  is  true,  a  certain  ele¬ 
gance  to  the  edifice  that  the  early  builders 
were  not  willing  to  impart.  The  ensemble  is, 
nevertheless,  peculiarly  Byzantine,  and,  with 
the  mother-church  in  Zamora,  which  it  re¬ 
sembles  without  copying,  it  stands  almost 
unique  in  the  history  of  art. 

The  lateral  doors,  not  situated  in  the  tran¬ 
sept,  are  located  near  the  foot  of  the  church. 
The  southern  portal  is  the  larger,  but  the 
most  simple;  the  arch  which  crowns  it  shows 
a  decided  ogival  tendency,  a  circumstance 
which  need  not  necessarily  be  attributed  to 
Gothic  influence,  as  in  many  churches  prior 
to  the  introduction  of  the  ogival  arch  the 
pointed  top  was  known,  and  in  isolated 
cases  it  was  made  use  of,  though  purely  by 
accident,  and  not  as  a  constructive  element. 

The  northern  door  is  smaller,  but  a  hun¬ 
dred  times  richer  in  sculptural  design.  It 
shows  Byzantine  influence  in  the  decoration, 


248 


Toro 

CATHEDRAL 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spam 

and  as  a  Byzantine-Romanesque  portal  can 
figure  among  the  best  in  Spain. 

It  has  been  supposed  that  the  western  front 
of  the  building  possessed  at  one  time  a 
narthex,  like  the  cathedral  Tuy,  for  instance. 
Nothing  remains  of  it,  however,  as  the  portal 
which  used  to  be  here  was  done  away  with, 
and  in  its  place  a  modern  chapel  with  a  fine 
Gothic  retablo  was  consecrated. 

Seen  from  the  interior,  the  almost  similar 
height  of  the  nave  and  aisles,  leaves,  as  in 
Zamora,  a  somewhat  stern  and  depressing 
impression  on  the  visitor;  the  light  which 
enters  is  also  feeble,  excepting  beneath  the 
linterna,  where  “  the  difficulty  of  placing  a 
circular  body  on  a  square  without  the  aid  of 
supports  ( pechinas )  has  been  so  naturally 
and  perfectly  overcome  that  we  are  obliged 
to  doubt  of  its  ever  having  existed.” 

Gothic  elements,  more  so  than  in  Zamora, 
mix  with  the  Romanesque  traditions  in  the 
decoration  of  the  nave  and  aisles;  neverthe¬ 
less,  the  elements  of  construction  are  purely 
Romanesque,  excepting  the  central  apsidal 
chapel  which  contains  the  high  altar.  Re¬ 
stored  by  the  Fonseca  family  in  the  sixteenth 
century,  it  is  ogival  in  conception  and  exe¬ 
cution,  and  contains  some  fine  tombs  of  the 

249 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


above  named  aristocratic  family.  But  the 
chapel  passes  unnoticed  in  this  peculiarly 
exotic  building,  where  solidity  and  not  grace 
was  the  object  sought  and  obtained. 


250 


IV 


SALAMANCA 

The  very  position  of  Salamanca,  imme¬ 
diately  to  the  north  of  the  chain  of  moun¬ 
tains  which  served  for  many  a  century  as  a 
rough  frontier  wall  between  Christians  and 
Moors,  was  bound  to  ensure  the  city’s  im¬ 
portance  and  fame.  Its  history  is  conse¬ 
quently  unique,  grander  and  more  exciting 
than  that  of  any  other  city;  the  universal 
name  it  acquired  in  the  fourteenth  century, 
thanks  to  its  university,  can  only  be  com¬ 
pared  with  that  of  Bologna,  Paris,  and 
Oxford. 

Consequently  its  fall  from  past  renown  to 
present  insignificance  was  tremendous,  and 
to-day,  a  heap  of  ruins,  boasting  of  traditions 
like  Toledo  and  Burgos,  of  two  cathedrals 
and  twenty-four  parish  churches,  of  twice 
as  many  convents  and  palaces,  of  a  one-time 
glorious  university  and  half  a  hundred  col¬ 
leges,  —  Salamanca  sleeps  away  a  useless 
existence  from  which  it  will  never  awaken. 

25* 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Its  history  has  still  to  be  penned.  What 
an  exciting  and  stirring  account  of  middle 
age  life  in  Spain  it  would  be! 

The  Romans  knew  Salamantia,  and  the 
first  notice  handed  down  to  us  of  the  city 
reads  like  a  fairy  story,  as  though  predicting 
future  events. 

According  to  Plutarch,  the  town  was 
besieged  by  Hannibal,  and  had  to  surrender. 
The  inhabitants  were  allowed  to  leave,  un¬ 
armed,  and  taking  away  with  them  only  their 
clothes;  the  men  were  searched  as  they 
passed  out,  but  not  so  the  women. 

Together  men  and  women  left  the  town. 
A  mile  away  they  halted,  and  the  women 
drew  forth  from  beneath  their  robes  con¬ 
cealed  weapons.  Together  the  men  and  the 
women  returned  to  their  town  and  stealthily 
fell  upon  their  foes,  slaughtering  them  in 
considerable  numbers.  Hannibal  was  so 
“enchanted”  (!)  with  the  bravery  displayed 
by  the  women,  that  he  drew  away  his  army 
from  the  town,  leaving  the  patriotic  inhabi¬ 
tants  to  settle  again  their  beloved  Salamanca. 

The  Western  Goths,  upon  their  arrival  in 
Spain,  found  Salamanca  in  a  flourishing  state, 
and  respected  its  episcopal  see,  the  origin 
of  which  is  ignored.  The  first  bishop  we 

2.S2 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

have  any  record  of  is  Eleuterio,  who  signed 
the  third  Council  of  Toledo  in  589. 

The  Arabs  treated  the  city  more  harshly; 
it  was  in  turn  taken  and  destroyed  by  infidels 
and  Christians;  the  former  sacking  frontier 
towns,  the  latter  destroying  all  fortresses 
they  could  not  hold. 

In  the  eighth  century  no  bishop  seems  to 
have  existed  in  Salamanca;  in  the  tenth,  date 
of  a  partial  reestablishment  of  the  see,  seven 
prelates  are  mentioned;  these  did  not,  how¬ 
ever,  risk  their  skins  by  taking  possession  of 
their  chair,  but  lived  quietly  in  the  north, 
either  in  Santiago  —  farther  north  they  could 
not  go!  —  or  else  in  Leon  and  Burgos.  The 
eleventh  century  is  again  devoid  of  any 
ecclesiastical  news  connected  with  the  see  of 
Salamanca;  what  is  more,  the  very  name  of 
the  city  is  forgotten  until  Alfonso  VI.  crossed 
the  Guaderrama  and  fixed  his  court  in 
Toledo.  This  bold  step,  taken  in  a  hostile 
country  far  from  the  centre  of  the  kingdom 
and  from  his  base  of  operations,  obliged  the 
monarch  to  erect  with  all  speed  a  series  of 
fortresses  to  the  north;  as  a  result,  Sala¬ 
manca,  Segovia,  and  Avila,  beyond  the 
Guaderrama  Mountains,  and  Madrid  to  the 
south,  were  quickly  populated  by  Christians. 

253 


The  Cathedvals  of  Northern  Spain 

This  occurred  in  1102;  the  first  bishop 
de  modernis  was  Jeronimo,  a  French  warrior- 
monk,  who  had  accompanied  his  bosom 
friend  el  Cid  to  Valencia,  had  fought  beside 
him,  and  had  been  appointed  bishop  of  the 
conquered  see.  Not  for  any  length  of  time, 
however,  for  as  soon  as  el  Cid  died,  the 
Moors  drove  the  Christians  out  of  the  new 
kingdom,  and  the  bishop  came  to  Leon  with 
the  Cristo  de  las  Batallas,  —  a  miraculous 
cross  of  old  Byzantine  workmanship,  sup¬ 
posed  to  have  aided  the  Cid  in  many  a  battle, 

—  as  the  only  souvenir  of  his  stay  in  the 
Valencian  see. 

The  next  four  or  five  bishops  fought  among 
themselves.  At  one  time  the  city  had  no 
fewer  than  two,  a  usurper,  and  another  who 
was  not  much  better;  the  Pope  deprived  one 
of  his  dignity,  the  king  another,  the  influen¬ 
tial  Archbishop  of  Santiago  chose  a  third, 
who  was  also  deposed  —  the  good  old  times! 

—  until  at  last  one  Berengario  was  ap¬ 
pointed,  and  the  ignominious  conflict  was 
peacefully  settled. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  city  at  the  begin¬ 
ning  were  a  strong,  warlike  medley  of  Jews 
(these  were  doubtless  the  least  warlike!), 
Arabs,  Aragonese,  Castilian,  French,  and 

254 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Leonese.  Bands  of  these  without  a  com¬ 
mander  invaded  Moorish  territory,  sacking 
and  pillaging  where  they  could.  On  one 
occasion  they  were  pursued  by  an  Arab 
army,  whose  general  asked  to  speak  with  the 
captain  of  the  Salamantinos.  The  answer 
was,  “Each  of  us  is  his  own  captain!” 
words  that  can  be  considered  typical  of  the 
anarchy  which  reigned  in  Spain  until  the 
advent  of  Isabel  and  Ferdinand  in  the  fif¬ 
teenth  century. 

If  the  bishops  fought  among  themselves, 
and  if  the  low  class  people  lived  in  a  state 
of  utter  anarchy,  the  same  spirit  spread  to  — 
or  emanated  from  —  the  nobility,  of  whom 
Salamanca  had  more  than  its  share,  espe¬ 
cially  as  soon  as  the  university  was  founded. 
The  annals  of  no  other  city  are  so  replete 
with  family  traditions  and  feuds,  which  were 
not  only  restricted  to  the  original  disputers, 
to  their  families  and  acquaintances,  but 
became  generalized  among  the  inhabitants 
themselves,  who  took  part  in  the  feud.  Thus 
it  often  happened  that  the  city  was  divided 
into  two  camps,  separated  by  an  imaginary 
line,  and  woe  betide  the  daring  or  careless 
individual  who  crossed  it! 

One  of  the  most  dramatic  of  these  feuds  — 
255 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

a  savage  species  of  vendetta  —  was  the  fol¬ 
lowing  : 

Dona  Maria  Perez,  a  Plasencian  dame 
of  noble  birth,  had  married  one  of  the  most 
powerful  noblemen  in  Salamanca,  Monroy 
by  name,  and  upon  the  latter’s  death  re¬ 
mained  a  widowed  mother  of  two  sons.  One 
of  them  asked  and  obtained  in  marriage  the 
hand  of  a  noble  lady  who  had  refused  a 
similar  proposition  made  by  one  Enriquez, 
son  of  a  Sevillan  aristocrat.  The  youth’s 
jealousy  and  anger  was  therefore  bitterly 
aroused,  and  he  and  his  brother  waited  for 
a  suitable  opportunity  in  which  to  avenge 
themselves.  It  soon  came:  they  were  play¬ 
ing  Spanish  ball,  pelota,  one  day  with  the 
accepted  suitor,  when  a  dispute  arose  as  to 
who  was  the  better  player;  the  two  brothers 
fell  upon  their  victim  and  foully  murdered 
him.  But  afraid  lest  his  brother  should 
venge  the  latter’s  death,  they  lay  in  wait 
for  him  behind  a  street  corner,  and  as  he 
came  along  they  rapidly  killed  him  as  they 
had  his  brother.  Then  they  fled  across  the 
frontier  to  Portugal. 

The  two  corpses  had  in  the  meantime  been 
carried  on  a  bier  by  the  crowds  and  laid  down 
in  front  of  Dona  Maria’s  house;  the  latter 

256 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

stepped  out  on  the  balcony,  with  dishevelled 
hair;  an  angry  murmur  went  from  one  end 
of  the  crowd  to  the  other,  and  a  universal 
clamour  arose:  vengeance  was  on  every  one’s 
lips.  But  Dona  Maria  commanded  silence. 

“  Be  calm,”  she  said,  “  and  take  these 
bodies  to  the  cathedral.  Vengeance?  Fear 
not,  I  shall  venge  myself.” 

An  hour  later  she  left  the  town  with  an 
escort,  apparently  with  a  view  to  retire  to 
her  estates  near  Plasencia.  Once  well  away 
from  the  city,  she  divulged  her  plan  to  the 
escort  and  asked  if  they  were  willing  to 
follow  her.  Receiving  an  affirmative  reply, 
she  tore  off  her  woman’s  clothes  and  ap¬ 
peared  dressed  in  full  armour;  placing  a 
helmet  on  her  head,  she  took  the  lead  of  her 
troops  again,  and  set  out  for  the  Portuguese 
frontier. 

The  strange  company  arrived  on  the  third 
day  at  a  Portuguese  frontier  town,  where 
they  were  told  that  two  foreigners  had  ar¬ 
rived  the  night  before.  By  the  description  of 
the  two  Spaniards,  Dona  Maria  felt  sure 
they  were  her  sons’  murderers,  and  con¬ 
sequently  she  and  her  escort  approached  the 
house  where  the  fugitives  were  passing  the 
night.  Placing  the  escort  beneath  the  win- 

257 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

dow,  she  stealthily  entered  the  house  and 
stole  to  the  brothers’  room;  then  she  slew 
them  whilst  they  were  sleeping,  and,  rushing 
to  the  window,  threw  it  open,  and,  spearing 
the  heads  of  her  enemies  on  her  lance,  she 
showed  them  to  her  retinue,  with  the  words: 

“  I'm  venged!  Back  to  Salamanca.” 

Silently,  at  the  head  of  her  troops,  and 
bearing  the  two  heads  on  her  lance,  Dona 
Maria  returned  to  Salamanca.  Entering 
the  cathedral,  she  threw  them  on  the  newly 
raised  slabs  which  covered  her  sons’  remains. 

Ever  after  she  was  known  as  Dona  Maria 
la  brava,  and  is  as  celebrated  to-day  as  she 
was  in  the  fifteenth  century,  during  the 
abominable  reign  of  Henry  IV.  And  so 
great  was  the  feud  which  divided  the  city 
into  two  camps,  that  it  lasted  many  years, 
and  many  were  the  victims  of  the  gigantic 
vendetta. 

The  city’s  greatest  fame  lay  in  its  uni¬ 
versity,  founded  toward  1215,  by  Alfonso  IX. 
of  Leon,  who  was  jealous  of  his  cousin 
Alfonso  VIII.  of  Castile,  the  founder  of  the 
luckless  university  of  Palencia. 

The  fate  of  the  last  named  university  has 
been  duly  mentioned  elsewhere ;  that  of 
Salamanca  was  far  different.  In  1255  the 

258 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Pope  called  it  one  of  the  four  lamps  of  the 
world;  strangers  —  students  from  all  cor¬ 
ners  of  Europe  —  flocked  to  the  city  to  study. 
Perhaps  its  greatest  merit  was  the  study  of 
Arabic  and  Arabian  letters,  and  it  has  been 
said  that  the  study  of  the  Orient  penetrated 
into  Europe  through  Salamanca  alone. 

What  a  glorious  life  must  have  been  the 
university  city’s  during  the  apogee  of  her 
fame!  Students  from  all  European  lands, 
dressed  in  the  picturesque  costume  worn  by 
those  who  attended  the  university,  wended 
their  way  through  the  streets,  singing  and 
playing  the  guitar  or  the  mandolin ;  they 
mingled  with  dusky  noblemen,  richly  dressed 
in  satins  and  silks,  and  wearing  the  rapier 
hanging  by  their  sides;  they  flirted  with 
the  beautiful  daughters  of  Spain,  and  gravely 
saluted  the  bishop  when  he  was  carried  along 
in  his  chair,  or  rode  a  quiet  palfrey.  At 
one  time  the  court  was  established  in  the 
university  city,  lending  a  still  more  brilliant 
lustre  to  the  every-day  life  of  the  inhabit¬ 
ants,  and  to  the  sombre  streets  lined  with 
palaces,  churches,  colleges,  convents,  and 
monasteries. 

Gone!  To-day  the  city  lies  beneath  an 
immense  weight  of  ruins  of  all  kinds,  that 

259 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

chain  her  down  to  the  past  which  was  her 
glory,  and  impede  her  from  looking  ahead 
into  her  future  with  ambitions  and  hopes. 

The  cathedrals  Salamanca  can  boast  of 
to-day  are  two,  an  old  one  and  a  compara¬ 
tively  new  one;  the  latter  was  built  beside 
the  former,  a  praiseworthy  and  exceptional 
proceeding,  for,  instead  of  pulling  down 
the  old  to  make  room  for  the  new,  as  hap¬ 
pens  throughout  the  world,  the  cathedral 
chapter  convocated  an  assembly  of  architects, 
and  was  intelligent  enough  —  another  won¬ 
der! —  to  accept  the  verdict  that  the  old 
building,  a  Romanesque-Byzantine  edifice  of 
exceptional  value,  should  not  be  demolished. 
The  new  temple  was  therefore  erected  be¬ 
side  the  former,  and,  obeying  the  art 
impulses  of  the  centuries  which  witnessed  its 
construction,  is  an  ogival  church  spoilt  —  or 
bettered  —  by  Renaissance,  plateresque,  and 
grotesque  decorative  elements. 

The  Old  Cathedral.  —  The  exact  date  of 
the  erection  of  the  old  see  is  not  known; 
toward  1152  it  was  already  in  construction, 
and  150  years  later,  in  1299,  it  was  not  con¬ 
cluded.  Consequently,  and  more  than  in 
the  case  of  Zamora  and  Toro,  the  upper 

260 


LD  SALAMANCA 

cathedral 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


part  of  the  building  shows  decided  ogival 
tendencies;  yet  in  spite  of  these  evident 
signs  of  transition,  the  ensemble,  the  spirit 
of  the  building,  is,  beyond  a  doubt,  Roman- 
esque-Byzantine,  and  not  Gothic. 

.  The  plan  of  the  church  is  the  same  as 
those  of  Zamora,  Toro,  and  Coria:  a  nave 
and  two  aisles  cut  short  at  the  transept,  which 
is  slightly  prolonged  beyond  the  width  of  the 
body  of  the  church ;  there  is  no  ambulatory 
walk,  but  to  the  east  of  the  transept  are  three 
chapels  in  a  three-lobed  apse,  the  central 
lobe  larger  than  the  others  and  containing  the 
high  altar;  the  choir  was  placed  (originally) 
in  the  centre  of  the  nave,  and  a  cimborio 
crowns  the  croisee,  this  latter  being  a 
peculiarity  of  the  three  cathedral  churches  of 
Zamora,  Toro,  and  Salamanca. 

Unluckily,  the  erection  of  the  new  build¬ 
ing  as  an  annex  of  the  old  one  required  (as 
in  Plasencia,  though  from  different  reasons) 
the  demolition  of  certain  parts  of  the  latter; 
as,  for  instance,  the  two  towers  of  the 
western  front,  the  northern  portal  as  well 
as  the  northern  half  of  the  apse,  and  the 
corresponding  part  of  the  transept.  Parts  of 
these  have  either  been  surrounded  or  replaced 
by  the  new  building. 

261 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

The  narthex  and  the  western  end  are 
still  preserved.  They  are  of  the  same  width 
as  the  nave,  for,  beneath  the  towers,  of 
which  one  seems  to  have  been  far  higher 
than  the  other,  each  of  the  aisles  terminates  in 
a  chapel.  Byzantine  in  appearance,  the  two 
western  doors  are,  nevertheless,  crowned  by 
an  ogival  arch,  and  flanked  by  statuettes  of 
the  same  style.  The  fagade,  repaired  and 
spoilt,  is  of  Renaissance  severity. 

The  interior  of  the  building  is  more  im¬ 
pressive  than  that  of  either  Zamora  or  Toro; 
this  is  due  to  the  absence  of  the  choir,  —  re¬ 
moved  to  the  new  cathedral,  —  which  permits 
an  uninterrupted  view  of  the  whole  church, 
which  does  not  occur  in  any  other  temple 
throughout  Spain.  Romanesque  strength  and 
gloominess  is  clearly  discernible,  whereas 
the  height  of  the  central  nave  (sixty  feet) 
is  rendered  stumpy  in  appearance  by  the 
almost  equal  height  of  the  aisles.  The 
strength  and  solidity  of  the  pillars  and  col¬ 
umns,  supporting  capitals  and  friezes  of  a 
peculiar  and  decided  Byzantine  taste  (ani¬ 
mals,  dragons,  etc.),  show  more  keenly  than 
in  Galicia  the  Oriental  influence  which 
helped  so  thoroughly  to  shape  Central  Span¬ 
ish  Romanesque. 


262 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Of  the  chapels,  but  one  deserves  special 
mention,  both  as  seen  from  without  and 
from  within,  namely,  the  high  altar,  or 
central  apsidal  chapel.  Seen  from  without, 
it  is  of  perfect  Romanesque  construction, 
excepting  the  upper  row  of  rose  windows, 
which  are  ogival  in  their  traceries;  inside, 
it  contains  a  mural  painting  of  an  exceed¬ 
ingly  primitive  design,  and  a  retablo  in  low 
reliefs  enchased  in  ogival  arches;  it  is  of 
Italian  workmanship. 

Of  the  remaining  chapels,  that  of  San 
Bartolome  contains  an  alabaster  sepulchre 
of  the  Bishop  Diego  de  Anaya  —  one  of  the 
many  prelates  of  those  times  who  was  the 
possessor  of  illegitimate  sons;  the  bodies  of 
most  of  the  latter  lie  within  this  chapel, 
which  can  be  regarded  not  only  as  a  family 
pantheon,  but  as  a  symbol  of  ecclesiastical 
greatness  and  human  weakness. 

The  windows  which  light  up  the  nave 
are  round-headed,  and  yet  they  are  delicately 
decorated,  as  is  rarely  to  be  seen  in  the 
Romanesque  type.  The  aisles,  on  the  con¬ 
trary,  are  not  lit  up  by  any  windows. 

Like  the  churches  of  Zamora  and  Toro, 
the  whole  cathedral  resembles  a  fortress 
rather  than  a  place  of  worship.  The  sim- 

263 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

plicity  of  the  general  structure,  the  rounded 
turrets  buried  in  the  walls,  serving  as  lean¬ 
ing  buttresses,  the  narrow  slits  in  the  walls 
instead  of  windows,  lend  an  indisputable 
aspect  of  strength.  The  beautiful,  the  really 
beautiful  lantern,  situated  above  the  croisee, 
with  its  turrets,  its  niches,  its  thirty  odd 
windows,  and  its  elegant  cupola,  is  an  archi¬ 
tectural  body  that  wins  the  admiration  of  all 
who  behold  it,  either  from  within  the  church 
or  from  without,  and  which,  strictly  Byzan¬ 
tine  in  conception  (though  rendered  pecul¬ 
iarly  Spanish  by  the  addition  of  certain 
elements  which  pertain  rather  to  Gothic 
military  art  than  to  church  architecture),  is 
unique  —  to  the  author’s  knowledge  —  in 
all  Europe.  Less  pure  in  style,  and  less 
Oriental  in  appearance  than  that  of  Zamora, 
it  waq  nevertheless,  created  more  perfect  by 
the  artistic  conception  of  the  architect,  and 
consequently  more  finished  or  developed  than 
those  of  Toro  and  Zamora.  Without  hesi¬ 
tation,  it  can  claim  to  be  one  of  Salamanca’s 
chief  attractions. 

The  thickness  of  the  walls  (ten  feet!),  the 
admirable  simpleness  of  the  vaulting,  and  the 
general  aspect  from  the  exterior,  have  won 


264 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

for  the  church  the  name  of  fortis  Salaman- 
tini. 

The  New  Cathedral.  —  It  was  begun  in 
1513,  the  old  temple  having  been  judged 
too  small,  and  above  all  too  narrow  for  a 
city  of  the  importance  of  Salamanca. 

Over  two  hundred  years  did  the  building 
of  the  present  edifice  last;  at  times  all  work 
was  stopped  for  years,  no  funds  being  at  hand 
to  pay  either  artists  or  masons. 

The  primitive  plan  of  the  church,  as  pro¬ 
posed  by  the  congress  of  architects,  was 
Gothic  of  the  second  period,  with  an  octag¬ 
onal  apse;  the  lower  part  of  the  churqh, 
from  the  foot  to  the  transept,  was  the  first  to 
be  constructed. 

The  upper  part  of  the  apse  was  not  be¬ 
gun  until  the  year  1588,  and  the  artist, 
imbued  with  the  beauty  of  Herrero’s  Esco- 
rial,  squared  the  apse  with  the  evident  inten¬ 
tion  of  constructing  turrets  on  the  exterior 
angles,  which  would  have  rendered  the 
building  symmetrical :  two  towers  on  the 
western  front,  a  cupola  on  the  croisee ,  and 
two  smaller  turrets  on  the  eastern  end. 

The  building  as  it  stands  to-day  is  a  perfect 
rectangle  cut  in  its  length  by  a  nave  (con- 

265 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

taining  the  choir  and  the  high  altar),  and 
by  two  aisles,  lower  than  the  nave  and  con¬ 
tinued  in  an  ambulatory  walk  behind  the 
high  altar. 

The  same  symmetry  is  visible  in  the 
lateral  chapels:  eight  square  huecos  on  the 
exterior  walls  of  the  aisles,  five  to  the  west, 
and  three  to  the  east  of  the  transept,  and 
three  in  the  extreme  eastern  wall  of  the 
apse. 

Magnificence  rather  than  beauty  is  the 
characteristic  note  of  the  new  cathedral. 
The  primitive  part — pure  ogival  with  but 
little  mixture  —  contrasts  with  the  eastern 
end,  which  is  covered  over  with  the  most 
glaring  grotesque  decoration;  most  of  the 
chapels  are  spoiled  by  the  same  shocking 
profusion  of  super-ornamentation;  the  other¬ 
wise  majestic  cupola,  the  high  altar,  and  the 
choir  —  all  suffer  from  the  same  defect. 

The  double  triforium  —  one  higher  than 
the  other  —  in  the  clerestory  produces  a  most 
favourable  impression;  this  is  heightened 
by  the  wealth  of  light,  which,  entering  by  two 
rows  of  windows  and  by  the  cimborio,  falls 
upon  the  rich  decoration  of  friezes  and 
capitals.  The  general  view  of  the  whole 
building  is  also  freer  than  in  most  Spanish 

266 


NEW  SALAMANCA 
CATHEDRAL 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

cathedrals,  and  this  harmony  existing  in  the 
proportions  of  the  different  parts  strikes 
the  visitor  more  favourably,  perhaps,  than  in 
the  severer  cathedral  at  Burgos. 

The  exterior  of  the  building  reflects  more 
truthfully  than  the  interior  the  different  art 
waves  which  spread  over  Spain  during  the 
centuries  of  the  temple’s  erection.  In  the 
western  front,  the  rich  Gothic  portal  of  the 
third  period,  the  richest  perhaps  in  sculp¬ 
tural  variety  of  any  on  the  peninsula,  con¬ 
trasts  with  the  high  mongrel  tower,  a  true 
example  of  the  composite  towers  so  fre¬ 
quently  met  with  in  certain  Spanish  regions. 
The  second  body  of  the  same  fagade  (west¬ 
ern)  is  highly  interesting,  not  on  account  of 
its  ornamentation,  which  is  simple,  but  be¬ 
cause  of  the  solid,  frank  structure,  and  the 
curious  fortress-like  turrets  embedded  in  the 
angles. 

The  flank  of  the  building,  seen  from  the 
north  —  for  on  the  south  side  stand  the  ruins 
of  the  old  cathedral  —  is  none  too  homoge¬ 
neous,  thanks  to  the  different  styles  in 
which  the  three  piers  of  windows  —  of 
chapels,  aisles,  and  clerestory  —  have  been 
constructed.  The  ensemble  is  picturesque, 
nevertheless:  the  three  rows  of  windows, 

267 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


surmounted  by  the  huge  cupola  and  half-lost 
among  the  buttresses,  certainly  contribute 
toward  the  general  elegance  of  the  granite 
structure. 


268 


V 


CIUDAD  RODRIGO 

In  the  times  of  the  Romans,  the  country 
to  the  west  of  Salamanca  seems  to  have  been 
thickly  populated.  Calabria,  situated  be¬ 
tween  the  Agueda  and  Coa  Rivers,  was  an 
episcopal  see;  in  its  vicinity  Augustabriga 
and  Mirobriga  were  two  other  important 
towns. 

Of  these  three  Roman  fortresses,  and  per¬ 
haps  native  towns,  before  the  invasion,  not 
as  much  as  a  stone  or  a  legend  remains  to 
relate  the  tale  of  their  existence  and  death. 

Toward  1150,  Fernando  II.  of  Castile, 
obeying  the  military  requirements  of  the 
Reconquest,  and  at  the  same  time  wishing  to 
erect  a  fortress-town,  which,  together  with 
Zamora  to  the  north,  Salamanca  to  the  west, 
and  Coria  to  the  south,  could  resist  the  in¬ 
vasion  of  Spain  by  Portuguese  armies, 
founded  Ciudad  Rodrigo,  and  twenty  years 
later  raised  the  church  to  an  episcopal  set, 

269 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

a  practical  means  of  attracting  God-fearing 
settlers.  Consequently,  the  twelfth-century 
town,  inheriting  the  ecclesiastical  dignity  of 
Calabria,  if  the  latter  ever  possessed  it,  be¬ 
sides  being  situated  in  the  same  region  as  the 
three  Roman  cities  previously  mentioned, 
can  claim  to  have  been  born  a  city. 

One  of  the  early  bishops  (the  first  was  a 
certain  Domingo)  was  the  famous  Pedro 
Diaz,  about  whom  a  legend  has  been  handed 
down  to  us.  This  legend  has  also  been 
graphically  illustrated  by  an  artist  of  the 
sixteenth  century;  his  painting  is  to  be  seen 
to  the  right  of  the  northern  transept  door 
in  the  cathedral. 

Pedro  Diaz  seems  to  have  been  a  worldly 
priest,  “  fond  of  the  sins  of  the  flesh  and  of 
good  eating,”  who  fell  ill  in  the  third  year 
of  his  reign.  His  secretary,  a  pious  servant 
of  the  Lord,  dreamt  he  saw  his  master’s  soul 
devoured  by  demons,  and  persuaded  him  to 
confess  his  sins.  It  was  too  late,  for  a  few 
days  later  he  died;  his  death  was,  however, 
kept  a  secret  by  his  menials,  who  wished  to 
have  plenty  of  time  to  make  a  generous 
division  of  his  fortune.  When  all  had  been 
settled  to  their  liking,  the  funeral  procession 
moved  through  the  streets  of  the  city,  and, 

270 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

to  the  surprise  of  all,  the  dead  bishop,  resur¬ 
rected  by  St.  Francis  of  Assisi,  at  the  time 
in  Ciudad  Rodrigo,  opened  the  coffin  and 
stood  upon  the  hearse.  He  accused  his  serv¬ 
ants  of  their  greed,  and  at  the  same  time 
made  certain  revelations  concerning  the  life 
hereafter.  His  experiences  must  have  been 
rather  pessimistic,  to  judge  by  the  bishop’s 
later  deeds,  for,  having  been  granted  a 
respite  of  twenty  days  upon  this  earth,  he 
“  fasted  and  made  penitence,”  doubtless 
eager  to  escape  a  second  time  the  tortures  of 
the  other  world. 

Other  traditions  concerning  the  lives  and 
doings  of  the  noblemen  who  disputed  the 
feudal  right  or  senorio  over  the  town,  are 
as  numerous  as  in  Plasencia,  with  which 
city  Ciudad  Rodrigo  has  certain  historical 
affinities.  The  story  of  the  Virgen  Coronada, 
who,  though  poor,  did  not  hesitate  in  killing 
a  powerful  and  wealthy  libertine  nobleman 
whom  she  was  serving;  the  no  less  stirring 
account  of  Dona  Maria  Adan’s  vow  that 
she  would  give  her  fair  daughter’s  hand  to 
whomsoever  venged  her  wrongs  on  the  five 
sons  of  her  husband’s  murderer,  are  among 
the  most  tragic  and  thrilling.  There  are 
many  other  traditions  beside,  which  con- 

271 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

stitute  the  past's  legacy  to  the  solitary  city 
near  the  Portuguese  frontier. 

It  was  in  the  nineteenth  century  that 
Ciudad  Rodrigo  earned  fame  as  a  brave 
city.  The  Spanish  war  for  independence 
had  broken  out  against  the  French,  who 
overran  the  country,  and  passed  from 
Bayonne  in  the  Gascogne  to  Lisbon  in 
Portugal.  Ciudad  Rodrigo  lay  on  the  short¬ 
est  route  for  the  French  army,  and  had  to 
suffer  two  sieges,  one  in  1810  and  the  second 
in  1812.  In  the  latter,  Wellington  was  the 
commander  of  the  English  forces  who  had 
come  to  help  the  Spanish  chase  the  French 
out  of  the  peninsula ;  the  siege  of  the  town 
and  the  battle  which  ensued  were  long  and 
terrible,  but  at  last  the  allied  English  and 
Spanish  won,  with  the  loss  of  two  English 
generals.  The  Iron  Duke  was  rewarded 
by  Spanish  Cortes,  with  the  title  of  Duke 
of  Ciudad  Rodrigo,  together  with  the 
honours  of  grandee  of  Spain,  which  are  still 
retained  by  Wellington's  descendants. 

The  cathedral  church  of  Ciudad  Rodrigo 
is  a  twelfth-century  building,  in  which  the 
Romanesque  style,  similar  to  those  of  Zamora 
and  Toro,  fights  with  the  nascent  ogival 
style.  Notwithstanding  these  remarks,  how- 

272 


CUIDAD  RODRIGO 
CATHEDRAL 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

ever,  the  building  does  not  pertain  to  the 
Transition  period,  but  rather  to  the  second 
or  last  period  of  Spanish  Romanesque.  This 
is  easily  seen  by  the  basilica  form  of  the 
church,  the  three-lobed  apse,  the  lack  of 
an  ambulatory  walk,  and  the  apparently 
similar  height  of  nave  and  aisles. 

The  square  tower,  surmounted  by  a  cupola, 
at  the  foot  of  the  church,  as  well  as  the  entire 
western  front,  dates  from  the  eighteenth 
century;  it  is  cold,  anti-artistic,  utterly  un¬ 
able  to  appeal  to  the  poetic  instincts  of  the 
spectator. 

Behind  the  western  front,  and  leading 
directly  into  the  body  of  the  church,  is  a 
delightful  Romanesque  narthex  which  doubt¬ 
lessly  served  as  the  western  facade  prior 
to  the  eighteenth-century  additions.  It 
is  separated  from  the  principal  nave  by  a 
door  divided  into  two  by  a  solid  pediment, 
upon  which  is  encrusted  a  statue  of  the  Virgin 
with  Child  in  her  arms.  The  semicircular 
arches  which  surmount  the  door  are  finely 
executed,  and  the  columns  which  support 
them  are  decorated  with  handsome  twelfth- 
century  statuettes.  There  is  a  great  simi¬ 
larity  between  this  portal  and  the  principal 
one  (del  Obispo)  in  Toro:  it  almost  seems 

273 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

as  though  the  same  hand  had  chiselled  both, 
or  at  least  traced  the  plan  of  their  decora¬ 
tion. 

Of  the  two  doors  which  lead,  one  on  the 
south  and  the  other  on  the  north,  into  the 
transept,  the  former  is  perhaps  the  more  per¬ 
fect  specimen  of  the  primitive  style.  Both 
are  richly  decorated;  unluckily,  in  both  por¬ 
tals,  the  rounded  arches  have  been  crowned 
in  more  recent  times  by  an  ogival  arch,  which 
certainly  mars  the  pureness  of  the  style, 
though  not  the  harmony  of  the  ensemble. 

To  the  left  of  these  doors,  a  niche  has 
been  carved  into  the  wall  to  contain  a  full- 
length  statue  of  the  Virgin;  this  is  an  unusual 
arrangement  in  Spanish  churches. 

The  exterior  of  the  apse  retains  its  primi¬ 
tive  cachet;  the  central  chapel,  where  the 
high  altar  is  placed,  was,  however,  rebuilt 
in  the  sixteenth  century  by  Tavera,  the 
Cardinal-Archbishop  of  Toledo,  who  had 
at  one  time  occupied  the  see  of  Ciudad 
Rodrigo.  It  is  a  peculiar  mixture  of  Gothic 
and  Romanesque,  of  pointed  windows  and 
heavy  buttresses;  the  flat  roof  is  decorated 
by  means  of  a  low  stone  railing  or  balus¬ 
trade  composed  of  elegantly  carved  pinna¬ 
cles. 


274 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

To  conclude:  excepting  the  western  front 
and  the  central  lobe  of  the  apse,  the  tower 
and  the  ogival  arch  surmounting  the  north¬ 
ern  and  southern  portals,  the  cathedral  of 
Ciudad  Rodrigo  is  one  of  the  most  perfectly 
preserved  Romanesque  buildings  to  the 
south  of  Zamora  and  Toro.  It  is  less  grim 
and  warlike  than  the  two  last-named  edifices, 
and  yet  it  is  also  a  fair  example  of  severe 
and  gloomy  (though  not  less  artistic!)  Cas¬ 
tilian  Romanesque.  Its  croisee  is  not  sur¬ 
mounted  by  the  heavy  cupola  as  in  Salamanca 
and  elsewhere,  and  it  is  perhaps  just  this  sup¬ 
pression  or  omission  which  gives  the  whole 
building  a  far  less  Oriental  appearance  than 
the  others  mentioned  heretofore. 

In  the  inside,  the  choir  occupies  its  usual 
place.  Its  stalls,  it  is  believed,  were  carved 
by  Aleman,  the  same  who  probably  wrought 
those  superb  seats  at  Plasencia.  It  is  doubtful 
if  the  same  master  carved  both,  however, 
but  were  it  so,  the  stalls  at  Ciudad  Rodrigo 
would  have  to  be  classified  as  older,  executed 
before  those  we  shall  examine  in  a  future 
chapter. 

The  nave  and  two  aisles,  pierced  by  ogival 
windows  in  the  clerestory  and  round-headed 
windows  in  the  aisles,  constitute  the  church; 

275 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

the  croisee  is  covered  by  means  of  a  simple 
ogival  vaulting;  the  arches  separating  the 
nave  from  the  aisles  are  Romanesque,  as  is 
the  vaulting  of  the  former.  It  was  origi¬ 
nally  the  intention  of  the  chapter  to  beautify 
the  solemn  appearance  of  the  interior  by 
means  of  a  triforium  or  running  gallery.  Un¬ 
luckily,  perhaps  because  of  lack  of  funds, 
the  triforium  was  never  begun  excepting  that 
here  and  there  are  seen  remnants  of  the 
primitive  tracing. 

With  the  lady-chapel  profusely  and 
lavishly  ornamented,  and  quite  out  of  place 
in  this  solemn  building,  there  are  five  chapels, 
one  at  the  foot  of  each  aisle  and  two  in  the 
apse,  to  the  right  and  left  of  the  lady-chapel. 
They  all  lack  art  interest,  however,  as  does 
the  actual  retabloj  which  replaces  the  one 
destroyed  by  the  French;  remnants  of  the 
latter  are  to  be  seen  patched  up  on  the  cloister 
walls. 

This  cloister  to  the  north  of  the  church  is 
a  historical  monument,  for  each  of  the  four 
sides  of  the  square  edifice  is  an  architectural 
page  differing  from  its  companions.  Study¬ 
ing  first  the  western,  then  the  southern,  and 
lastly  the  two  remaining  sides,  the  student 
can  obtain  an  idea  of  how  Romanesque  prin- 

276 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

ciples  struggled  with  Gothic  before  dying 
completely  out,  and  how  the  latter,  having 
reached  its  apogee,  deteriorated  into  the 
most  lamentable  superdecoration  before  fad¬ 
ing  away  into  the  naked,  straight-lined 
features  of  the  Renaissance  so  little  com¬ 
patible  with  Christian  ideals. 


2  77 


VI 


CORIA 

To  the  west  of  Toledo  and  to  the  south  of 
the  Sierra  de  Gata,  which,  with  the  moun¬ 
tains  of  Gredo  and  the  Guaderrama,  formed 
in  the  middle  ages  a  natural  frontier  be¬ 
tween  Christians  and  Moors,  lies,  in  a 
picturesque  and  fertile  vale  about  twenty 
miles  distant  from  the  nearest  railway  station, 
the  little  known  cathedral  town  of  Coria.  It 
is  situated  on  the  northern  shores  of  the 
Alargon,  a  river  flowing  about  ten  miles 
farther  west  into  the  Tago,  near  where  the 
latter  leaves  Spanish  territory  and  enters 
that  of  Portugal. 

Caurium,  or  Curia  Vetona,  was  its  name 
when  the  Romans  held  Extremadura,  and 
it  was  in  this  town,  or  in  its  vicinity,  that 
Viriato,  the  Spanish  hero,  destroyed  four 
Roman  armies  sent  to  conquer  his  wild 
hordes.  He  never  lost  a  single  battle  or 
skirmish,  and  might  possibly  have  dealt  a 

278 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

death-blow  to  Roman  plans  of  domination 
in  the  peninsula,  had  not  the  traitor’s  knife 
ended  his  noble  career. 

Their  enemy  dead,  the  Romans  entered  the 
city  of  Coria,  which  they  immediately  sur¬ 
rounded  by  a  circular  wall  half  a  mile  in 
length,  and  twenty-six  feet  thick ( ! ) .  This 
Roman  wall,  considered  by  many  to  be  the 
most  perfectly  preserved  in  Europe,  is 
severely  simple  in  structure,  and  flanked  by 
square  towers;  it  constitutes  the  city’s  one 
great  attraction. 

The  episcopal  see  was  erected  in  338. 
The  names  of  the  first  bishops  have  long 
been  forgotten,  the  first  mentioned  being  one 
Laquinto,  who  signed  the  third  Toledo 
Council  in  589. 

Two  centuries  later  the  Moors  raised  Al- 
Karica  to  one  of  their  capitals;  in  854  Zeth, 
an  ambitious  Saracen  warrior,  freed  it  from 
the  yoke  of  Cordoba,  and  reigned  in  the  city 
as  an  independent  sovereign. 

Like  Zamora  and  Toro,  Coria  was  con¬ 
tinually  being  lost  and  won  by  Christians  and 
Moors,  with  this  difference,  that  whereas 
the  first  two  can  be  looked  upon  as  the  last 
Christian  outposts  to  the  north  of  the  Duero, 


279 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Coria  was  the  last  Arab  stronghold  to  the 
north  of  the  Tago. 

Toward  the  beginning  of  the  thirteenth 
century,  the  strong  fortress  on  the  Alagon 
was  definitely  torn  from  the  hands  of  its 
independent  sovereign  by  Alfonso  VIII., 
after  the  battle  of  Las  Navas  de  Tolosa.  A 
bishop  was  immediately  reinstated  in  the  see, 
and  after  five  centuries  of  Mussulman  domi¬ 
nation,  Coria  saw  the  standard  of  Castile 
waving  from  its  citadel. 

As  happened  with  so  many  other  provincial 
towns  in  Spain,  the  centralization  of  power 
to  the  north  of  Toledo  shoved  Coria  into 
the  background;  to-day  it  is  a  cathedral 
village  forgotten  or  completely  ignored  by 
the  rest  of  Spain.  Really,  it  might  perhaps 
have  been  better  for  the  Arabs  to  have  pre¬ 
served  it,  for  under  their  rule  it  flourished. 

It  is  picturesque,  this  village  on  the  banks 
of  the  Alagon:  a  heap  or  bundle  of  red 
bricks  surrounded  by  grim  stone  walls,  over¬ 
topped  by  a  cathedral  tower  and  citadel,  — 
the  whole  picture  emerging  from  a  prairie 
and  thrown  against  a  background  formed 
by  the  mountains  to  the  north  and  the  bright 
blue  sky  in  the  distance. 

Arab  influence  is  only  too  evident  in  the 
280 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

buildings  and  houses,  in  the  Alcazar,  and  in 
the  streets;  unluckily,  these  remembrances 
of  a  happy  past  depress  the  dreamy  visitor 
obliged  to  recognize  the  infinite  sadness 
which  accompanied  the  expulsion  of  the 
Moors  by  intolerant  tyrants  from  the  land 
they  had  inhabited,  formed,  and  moulded 
to  their  taste.  Nowhere  is  this  so  evident  as 
in  Coria,  a  forgotten  bit  of  mediaeval  Moor¬ 
land.  The  poet’s  exclamation  is  full  of 
bitterness  and  resignation  when  he  exclaims: 

“  Is  it  possible  that  this  heap  of  ruins 
should  have  been  in  other  times  the  splendid 
court  of  Zeth  and  Mondhir!” 

As  an  architectural  building,  the  cathedral 
of  Coria  is  a  parish  church,  which,  removed 
to  any  other  town,  would  be  devoid  of  any 
and  all  beauty.  In  other  words,  the  impres¬ 
sions  it  produces  are  entirely  dependent  upon 
its  local  surroundings;  eliminate  these,  and 
the  temple  is  worthless  from  an  artistic  or 
poetical  point  of  view. 

It  was  begun  in  1120,  most  likely  by  Arab 
workmen;  it  was  finished  toward  the  be¬ 
ginning  of  the  sixteenth  century.  Honestly 
speaking,  it  is  a  puzzle  what  the  artisans 
did  in  all  those  long  years;  doubtless  they 

281 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

slept  at  their  task,  or  else  decades  passed 
away  without  work  of  any  kind  being  done, 
or  again,  perhaps  only  one  mason  was  em¬ 
ployed  at  a  time. 

The  interior  is  that  of  a  simple  Gothic 
church  of  one  aisle,  150  feet  long  by  fifty-two 
wide  and  eighty-four  high;  the  high  altar 
is  situated  in  the  rounded  apse;  in  the  centre 
of  the  church  the  choir  stalls  of  the  fifteenth 
century  obstruct  the  view  of  the  walls,  deco¬ 
rated  only  by  means  of  pilasters  which  pre¬ 
tend  to  support  the  Gothic  vaulting. 

To  the  right,  in  the  altar  chapel,  is  a  fine 
marble  sepulchre  of  the  sixteenth  century, 
in  which  the  chasuble  of  the  kneeling  bishop 
portrayed  is  among  the  best  pieces  of  imita¬ 
tive  sculpture  to  be  seen  in  Spain. 

To  the  right  of  the  high  altar,  and  buried 
in  the  cathedral  wall,  a  door  leads  out  into 
the  paseo,  —  a  walk  on  the  broad  walls  of  the 
city,  with  a  delightful  view  southwards  across 
the  river  to  the  prairie  in  the  distance. 
Where  can  a  prettier  and  more  natural 
cloister  be  found? 

The  western  facade  is  never  used,  and  is 
surrounded  by  the  old  cemetery,  —  a  rather 
peculiar  place  for  a  cemetery  in  a  cathedral 
church;  the  northern  fagade  is  anti-artistic, 

282 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

but  the  tower  to  the  right  has  one  great  vir¬ 
tue,  that  of  comparative  height.  Though 
evidently  intended  to  be  Gothic,  the  Arab 
taste,  so  pronounced  throughout  this  region, 
got  the  better  of  the  architect,  and  he  erected 
a  square  steeple  crowned  by  a  cupola. 

Yet,  and  in  spite  of  criticism  which  can 
hardly  find  an  element  worthy  of  praise  in 
the  whole  cathedral  building,  the  tourist 
should  not  hesitate  in  visiting  the  city.  Be¬ 
sides,  the  whole  region  of  Northern  Extre¬ 
madura,  in  which  Coria  and  Plasencia  lie, 
is  historically  most  interesting:  Yuste,  where 
Charles- Tuint  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life, 
is  not  far  off;  neither  is  the  Convent  of 
Guadalupe,  famous  for  its  pictures  by  the 
great  Zurbaran. 

As  for  Coria  itself,  it  is  a  forgotten  corner 
of  Moor-land. 


283 


VII 


PLASENCIA 

The  foundation  of  Plasencia  by  King  Al¬ 
fonso  VIII.  in  1178,  and  the  erection  of  a 
new  episcopal  see  twelve  years  later,  can  be 
regarded  as  the  coup  de  grace  given  to  the 
importance  of  Coria,  the  twin  sister  forty 
miles  away.  Nevertheless,  the  Royal  City, 
as  Plasencia  was  called,  which  ended  by 
burying  its  older  rival  in  the  most  shocking 
oblivion,  was  not  able  to  acquire  a  name  in 
history.  Founded  by  a  king,  and  handed  over 
to  a  bishop  and  to  favourite  courtiers,  who 
ruled  it  indifferently  well,  not  to  say  badly, 
it  grew  up  to  be  an  aristocratic  town  without 
a  bourgeoisie.  Its  history  in  the  middle  ages 
is  consequently  one  long  series  of  family 
feuds,  duels,  and  tragedies,  the  record  of 
bloody  happenings,  and  acts  of  heroic  brutal¬ 
ity  and  bravery. 

In  1233  a  Moorish  army  conquered  it, 
shortly  after  the  battle  of  Alarcos  was  lost 

284 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

to  Alfonso  VIII.,  at  that  time  blindly  in  love 
with  his  beautiful  Jewish  mistress,  Rachel  of 
Toledo.  But  the  infidels  did  not  remain 
master  of  the  situation,  far  less  of  the  city, 
for  any  length  of  time,  as  within  the  next 
year  or  so  it  fell  again  into  the  hands  of  its 
founder,  who  strengthened  the  walls  still 
standing  to-day,  and  completed  the  citadel. 

The  population  of  the  city,  like  that  of 
Toledo,  was  mixed.  Christians,  Jews,  and 
Moors  lived  together,  each  in  their  quarter, 
and  together  they  used  the  fertile  vegas , 
which  surround  the  town.  The  Jews  and 
Moors  were,  in  the  fifteenth  century,  about 
ten  thousand  in  number;  in  1492  the  former 
were  expelled  by  the  Catholic  kings,  and  in 
1609  Philip  III.  signed  a  decree  expelling 
the  Moors.  Since  then  Plasencia  has  lost 
its  municipal  wealth  and  importance,  and 
the  see,  from  being  one  of  the  richest  in 
Spain,  rapidly  sank  until  to-day  it  drags 
along  a  weary  life,  impoverished  and  unim¬ 
portant. 

The  Jewish  cemetery  is  still  to  be  seen  in 
the  outskirts  of  the  town ;  Arab  remains, 
both  architectural  and  irrigatory,  are  every¬ 
where  present,  and  the  quarter  inhabited  by 


285 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

them,  the  most  picturesque  in  Plasencia,  is 
a  Moorish  village. 

The  city  itself,  crowning  a  hill  beside  the 
rushing  lerte,  is  a  small  Toledo;  its  streets 
are  narrow  and  winding;  its  church  towers 
are  numerous,  and  the  red  brick  houses 
warmly  reflect  the  brilliancy  of  the  south¬ 
ern  atmosphere.  The  same  death,  however, 
the  same  inactivity  and  lack  of  movement, 
which  characterize  Toledo  and  other  cities, 
hover  in  the  alleys  and  in  the  public  squares, 
in  the  fertile  vegas  and  silent  patios  of 
PI  asencia. 

The  history  of  the  feuds  between  the  great 
Castilian  families  who  lived  here  is  tragically 
interesting:  Hernan  Perez  killed  by  Diego 
Alvarez,  the  son  of  one  of  the  former’s  vic¬ 
tims;  the  family  of  Monroye  pitched  against 
the  Zunigas  and  other  noblemen,  —  these  and 
many  other  traditions  are  among  the  most 
stirring  of  the  events  that  happened  in  Spain 
in  the  middle  ages. 

Even  the  bishops  called  upon  to  occupy  the 
see  seem  to  have  been  slaves  to  the  warlike 
spirit  that  hovered,  as  it  were,  in  the  very 
atmosphere  of  the  town.  The  first  prelate, 
Don  Domingo,  won  the  battle  of  Navas  de 
Tolosa  for  his  protector,  Alfonso  VIII. 

286 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

When  the  Christian  army  was  wavering,  he 
rushed  to  the  front  (with  his  naked  sword, 
the  cross  having  been  left  at  home),  at  the 
head  of  his  soldiers,  and  drove  the  already 
triumphant  Moors  back  until  they  broke 
their  ranks  and  fled.  The  same  bishop 
carried  the  Christian  sword  to  the  very  heart 
of  the  Moorish  dominions,  to  Granada,  and 
conquered  neighbouring  Loja.  The  next 
prelate,  Don  Adan,  was  one  of  the  leaders 
of  the  army  that  conquered  Cordoba  in  1236, 
and,  entering  the  celebrated  mezquita,  sancti¬ 
fied  its  use  as  a  Christian  church. 

The  history  of  the  cathedral  church  is  no 
less  interesting.  The  primitive  see  was  tem¬ 
porarily  placed  in  a  church  on  a  hill  near 
the  fortress;  this  building  was  pulled  down 
in  the  fifteenth  century,  and  replaced  by  a 
Jesuit  college. 

Toward  the  beginning  of  the  fourteenth 
century  a  cathedral  church  was  inaugurated. 
Its  life  was  short,  however,  for  in  1498  it 
was  partially  pulled  down  to  make  way  for  a 
newer  and  larger  edifice,  which  is  to-dav  the 
unfinished  Renaissance  cathedral  visited  by 
the  tourist. 

Parts  of  the  old  cathedral  are,  however, 
still  standing.  Between  the  tower  of  the  new 

287 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

temple  and  the  episcopal  palace,  but  un¬ 
luckily  weighted  down  by  modern  super¬ 
structures,  stands  the  old  facade,  almost  in¬ 
tact.  The  grossness  of  the  structural  work, 
the  timid  use  of  the  ogival  arch,  the  primi¬ 
tive  rose  window,  and  the  general  heaviness 
of  the  structure,  show  it  to  belong  to  the 
decadent  period  of  the  Romanesque  style, 
when  the  artists  were  attempting  something 
new  and  forgetting  the  lessons  of  the  past. 

The  new  cathedral  is  a  complicated 
Gothic-Renaissance  building  of  a  nave  and 
two  aisles,  with  an  ambulatory  behind  the 
high  altar.  Not  a  square  inch  but  what 
has  been  hollowed  out  into  a  niche  or  covered 
over  with  sculptural  designs;  the  Gothic 
plan  is  anything  but  pure  Gothic,  and  the 
Renaissance  style  has  been  so  overwrought 
that  it  is  anything  but  Italian  Renaissance. 

The  facade  of  the  building  is  imposing,  if 
not  artistic;  it  is  composed  of  four  bodies, 
each  supported  laterally  by  pillars  and 
columns  of  different  shapes  and  orders,  and 
possessing  a  hueco  or  hollow  in  the  centre, 
the  lowest  being  the  door,  the  highest  a 
stained  glass  window,  and  the  two  central 
ones  blind  windows,  which  spoil  the  whole. 
The  floral  and  Byzantine  (Arab?)  decora- 

288 


/  VJAAdf  AH  ;  it.  A 

a/  5k;:ihi  /  .<  h 


Facade  of  plasencia 

CATHEDRAL 


i 


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r  i'ffr'-'^H 

*5  3  ^ISiS 

i  pSH 

v  .  /P3 

pgfiE 

,  T?lU| 

rr* 

|  ] 

jl  „  i| 

The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

tion  of  pillars  and  friezes  is  of  a  great  wealth 
of  varied  designs;  statuettes  are  missing  in 
the  niches,  proving  the  unfinished  state  of 
the  church. 

Three  arches  and  four  pillars,  sumptuously 
decorated,  uphold  each  of  the  clerestory 
walls,  which  are  pierced  at  the  top  by  a 
handsome  triforium  running  completely 
around  the  church.  The  retablo  of  the  high 
altar  is  richly  decorated,  perhaps  too  richly; 
the  reja,  which  closes  off  the  sacred  area,  is 
of  fine  seventeenth-century  workmanship. 

The  choir  stalls  are  of  a  surprising  rich¬ 
ness,  carved  scenes  covering  the  backs  and 
seats.  They  are  famous  throughout  the 
country,  and  the  genius,  above  all  the  im¬ 
agination,  of  the  artist  who  executed  them 
(his  name  is  unluckily  not  known,  though  it 
is  believed  to  be  Aleman)  must  have  been 
notable.  Pious  when  carving  the  upper  and 
visible  seats,  he  seems  to  have  been  exceed¬ 
ingly  ironical  and  profane  when  sculpturing 
the  inside  of  the  same,  where  the  reverse  or 
the  caustic  observation  produced  in  the  carv¬ 
er’s  mind  has  been  artfully  drawn,  though 
sometimes  with  an  undignified  grain  of  in¬ 
decency  and  obscenity  not  quite  in  harmony 
with  our  Puritanic  spirit  of  to-day. 

289 


PART  V 
Eastern  Castile 


I 


VALLADOLID 

The  origin  of  Valladolid  is  lost  in  the 
shadows  of  the  distant  past.  As  it  was  the 
capital  of  a  vast  kingdom,  it  was  thought 
necessary,  as  in  the  case  of  Madrid,  to  place 
its  foundation  prior  to  the  Roman  invasion ; 
the  attempt  failed,  however,  and  though 
Roman  ruins  have  been  found  in  the  vicinity, 
nothing  is  positively  known  about  the  city’s 
history  prior  to  the  eleventh  century. 

When  Sancho  II.  fought  against  his  sister 
locked  up  in  Zamora,  he  offered  her  Valli- 
soletum  in  exchange  for  the  powerful  fortress 
she  had  inherited  from  her  father.  In  vain, 
and  the  town  seated  on  the  Pisuerga  is  not 
mentioned  again  in  historical  documents  until 
1074,  when  Alfonso  VI.  handed  it  over,  with 
several  other  villages,  to  Pedro  Ansurez, 
who  made  it  his  capital,  raised  the  church 
(Santa  Maria  la  Mayor)  to  a  suffragan  of 
Palencia,  and  laid  the  first  foundations  of 

293 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

its  future  greatness.  In  1208  the  family 
of  Ansurez  died  out,  and  the  villa  reverted 
to  the  crown;  from  then  until  the  reign  of 
Philip  IV.  Valladolid  was  doubtless  one 
of  the  most  important  cities  in  Castile,  and 
the  capital  of  all  the  Spains,  from  the  reign 
of  Ferdinand  and  Isabel  to  that  of  Philip  III. 

Consequently,  the  history  of  Valladolid 
from  the  thirteenth  to  the  sixteenth  century 
is  that  of  Spain. 

In  Valladolid,  Peter  the  Cruel,  after  three 
days’  marriage,  forsook  his  bride,  Dona 
Blanca  de  Bourbon,  and  returned  to  the 
arms  of  his  mistress  Maria;  several  years 
later  he  committed  most  of  his  terrible  crimes 
within  the  limits  of  the  town.  Here  Maria 
de  Molina  upheld  her  son’s  right  to  the 
throne  during  his  minority,  and  in  Valladolid 
also,  after  her  son’s  death,  the  same  widow 
fought  for  her  grandson  against  the  intrigues 
of  uncles  and  cousins. 

Isabel  and  Alfonso  fought  in  Vallado¬ 
lid  against  the  proclamation  of  their  niece, 
Juana,  the  illegitimate  daughter  of  Henry 
IV.,  as  heiress  to  the  throne;  the  citizens 
upheld  the  Catholic  princess’s  claims,  and 
it  is  not  surprising  that  when  the  princess 
became  queen  —  the  greatest  Spain  ever  had 

294 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

— she  made  Valladolid  her  capital,  in  grat¬ 
itude  to  the  loyalty  of  its  inhabitants. 

In  Valladolid,  Columbus  obtained  the 
royal  permission  to  sail  westwards  in  1492, 
and,  upon  his  last  return  from  America,  he 
died  in  the  selfsame  city  in  1506;  here 
also  Berruguete,  the  sculptor,  created  many 
of  his  chefs-d’ceuvres  and  the  immortal 
Cervantes  appeared  before  the  law  courts  and 
wrote  the  second  part  of  his  “  Quixote.” 

Unlucky  Juana  la  Loca  (Jane  the  Mad) 
and  her  husband  Felipe  el  Hermoso  (Philip 
the  Handsome)  reigned  here  after  the  death 
of  Isabel  the  Catholic,  and  fifty  years  later, 
when  Philip  II.  returned  from  England  to 
ascend  the  Spanish  throne,  he  settled  in 
Valladolid,  until  his  religious  fanaticism 
or  craze  obliged  him  to  move  to  a  city 
nearer  the  Escorial.  Then  he  fixed  upon 
Madrid  as  his  court.  Being  a  religious 
man,  nevertheless,  and  conscious  of  a  cer¬ 
tain  love  for  Valladolid,  his  natal  town, 
he  had  the  suffragan  church  erected  to  a 
cathedral  in  1595,  appointing  Don  Bar- 
tolome  de  la  Plaza  to  be  its  first  bishop. 
At  the  same  time,  he  ordered  Juan  de  Her- 
rero,  the  severe  architect  of  the  Escorial, 


295 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

to  draw  the  plans  and  commence  the  build¬ 
ing  of  the  new  edifice. 

The  growing  importance  of  Madrid,  and 
the  final  establishment  in  the  last  named 
city  of  all  the  honours  which  belonged  to 
Valladolid,  threw  the  city  seated  on  the 
Pisuerga  into  the  shade,  and  its  star  of 
fortune  slowly  waned.  But  not  to  such  a 
degree  as  that  of  Salamanca  or  Burgos,  for 
to-day,  of  all  the  old  cities  of  Castile,  the 
only  one  which  has  a  life  of  its  own,  and  a 
commercial  and  industrial  personality,  is 
Valladolid,  the  one-time  capital  of  all  the 
Spains,  and  now  the  seat  of  an  archbish¬ 
opric.  It  began  by  usurping  the  dignity 
of  Burgos;  then  it  rose  to  greater  heights 
of  fame  than  its  rival,  thanks  to  the  dis¬ 
covery  of  America,  and  finally  it  lost  its 
prestige  when  Madrid  was  crowned  the 
unica  villa. 

The  general  appearance  of  the  city  is  pe¬ 
culiarly  Spanish,  especially  as  regards  the 
prolific  use  of  brick  in  the  construction  of 
churches  and  edifices  in  general.  It  is 
presumable  that  the  Arabs  were  possessors 
of  the  town  before  the  Christian  conquest, 
though  no  documental  proofs  are  at  hand. 
The  etymology  of  the  city’s  name,  Medinat- 

296 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

el-Walid,  is  purely  Arabic,  Walid  being  the 
name  of  a  Moorish  general. 

If  the  cathedral  church  was  erected  as 
late  as  the  sixteenth  century,  it  must  not  be 
supposed  that  the  town  lacked  parish 
churches.  On  the  contrary,  there  is  barely 
a  city  in  Spain  with  more  religious  edifices 
of  all  kinds,  and  the  greater  part  of  them 
of  far  more  architectural  merit  than  the 
cathedral  itself.  The  astonishing  number 
of  convents  is  remarkable;  many  of  them 
date  from  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth  cen¬ 
turies,  and  are,  consequently,  Romanesque 
with  a  good  deal  of  Byzantine  taste  about 
them,  or  else  they  belong  to  the  period  of 
Transition.  Taken  all  in  all,  they  are  really 
the  only  architectural  attractions  to  be  dis¬ 
covered  in  the  city  to-day.  The  traditions 
which  explain  the  foundation  of  some  of 
these  are  among  the  most  characteristic  in 
Valladolid,  and  a  thread  of  Oriental  romance 
is  more  predominant  among  them  than  else¬ 
where.  A  good  example  of  one  of  these 
explains  the  foundation  of  the  large  con¬ 
vent  of  the  Mercedes. 

Dona  Leonor  was  the  wife  of  one  Acuna, 
a  fearless  (?)  knight.  The  King  of  Portu¬ 
gal  unluckily  fell  in  love  with  Dona  Leonor, 

29  7 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

and,  wishing  to  marry  her,  had  her  pre¬ 
vious  marriage  annulled  and  placed  her  on 
his  throne.  Acuna  lied  from  Portugal  and 
came  to  Valladolid,  where,  with  unpar¬ 
alleled  sarcasm,  he  wore  a  badge  on  his  hat 
proclaiming  his  dishonour. 

Both  Acuna  and  the  King  of  Portugal 
died,  and  Dona  Leonor,  whose  morals  were 
none  too  edifying,  fell  in  love  with  a  cer¬ 
tain  Zuniguez;  the  daughter  of  these  two 
was  handed  over  to  the  care  of  a  knight, 
Fernan  by  name,  and  Dona  Leonor  ordered 
him  to  found  a  convent,  upon  her  death, 
and  lock  up  her  daughter  within  its  walls; 
the  mother  was  doubtless  only  too  anxious 
to  have  her  daughter  escape  the  ills  of  this 
life.  Unluckily  she  counted  without  the 
person  principally  concerned,  namely,  the 
daughter,  for  the  latter  fell  secretly  in  love 
with  her  keeper’s  nephew.  She  thought  he 
was  her  cousin,  however,  for  it  appears  she 
was  passed  off  as  Fernan’s  daughter.  Upon 
her  mother’s  death  she  learnt  her  real  ori¬ 
gin,  and  wedded  her  lover.  In  gratitude 
for  her  non-relationship  with  her  husband, 
she  founded  the  convent  her  mother  had 
ordered,  but  she  herself  remained  without 
its  walls! 


298 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

The  least  that  can  be  said  about  the  cathe¬ 
dral  of  Valladolid,  the  better.  Doubtless 
there  are  many  people  who  consider  the 
building  a  marvel  of  beauty.  As  a  speci¬ 
men  of  Juan  de  Herrero’s  severe  and  ma¬ 
jestic  style,  it  is  second  to  no  other  building 
excepting  only  that  great  masterwork,  the 
Escorial,  and  perhaps  parts  of  the  Pillar 
at  Saragosse.  But  as  an  art  monument, 
where  beauty  and  not  Greco-Roman  effects 
are  sought,  it  is  a  failure. 

The  original  plan  of  the  building  was  a 
rectangle,  41 1  feet  long  by  204  wide,  divided 
in  its  length  by  a  nave  and  two  aisles,  and  in 
its  width  by  a  broad  transept  situated  exactly 
half-way  between  the  apse  and  the  foot  of 
the  church.  The  form  was  thus  that  of  a 
Greek  cross;  each  angle  of  the  building  was 
to  be  surmounted  by  a  tower,  and  the  croisee 
by  an  immense  cupola  or  dome.  (Compare 
with  the  new  cathedral  in  Salamanca.)  The 
lateral  walls  of  the  aisles  were  to  contain 
symmetrical  chapels,  as  was  also  the  apse. 

From  the  foregoing  it  will  be  seen  that 
symmetry  and  the  Greco-Roman  straight 
horizontal  line  were  to  replace  the  ogival  arch 
and  the  generally  vertical,  soaring  effect  of 
Gothic  buildings. 


299 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

The  architect  died  before  his  monument 
was  completed,  and  Churriguera,  the  most 
anti-artistic  artist  that  ever  breathed,  —  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  author’s  personal  opinion,  — 
was  called  upon  to  finish  the  edifice:  his 
trade-mark  covers  almost  the  entire  western 
front,  where  the  second  body  shows  the  de¬ 
fects  into  which  Herrero’s  severe  style  degen¬ 
erated  soon  after  his  death. 

Of  the  four  towers  and  the  cupola  which 
were  to  render  the  capitol  of  Valladolid 
“  second  in  grandeur  to  none  excepting  St. 
Peter's  at  Rome,”  only  one  tower  was  erected: 
it  fell  down  in  1841,  and  is  being  reerected 
at  the  present  time. 

In  the  interior  the  same  disparity  is  every¬ 
where  visible,  as  well  as  in  the  unfinished 
state  of  the  temple.  Greek  columns  are 
prevalent,  and,  contrasting  with  their  sim¬ 
plicity,  the  high  altar,  as  grotesque  a  body 
as  ever  was  placed  in  a  holy  cathedral,  at¬ 
tracts  the  eye  of  the  vulgar  with  something 
of  the  same  feeling  as  a  blood-and-thunder 
melodrama.  Needless  to  say,  the  art  con¬ 
noisseur  flees  therefrom. 

To  the  rear  of  the  building  the  remains 
of  the  Romanesque  Church  of  Santa  Maria 
la  Mayor  are  still  to  be  seen;  what  a 

300 


H  O  T /;  O >1  'H  /.  X  3 '  I’d  I  T  ?  J 
JAMCHHTAO  aUOOAJmAV  '/V 


ESTERN  FRONT  OF 
VALLADOLID  CATHEDRAL 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

difference  between  the  rigid,  anti-artistic 
conception  of  Herrero,  ridiculized  by  Churri¬ 
guera,  and  left  but  half-completed  by  suc¬ 
cessive  generations  of  moneyless  believers, 
and  the  simple  but  elegant  features  of  the  old 
collegiate  church,  with  its  tower  still  stand¬ 
ing,  a  Byzantine  recuerdo  of  the  thirteenth 
century. 


301 


II 


AVILA 

To  the  west  of  Madrid,  in  the  very  heart 
of  the  Sierra  de  Gredos,  lies  Avila,  another 
of  the  interesting  cities  of  Castile,  whose 
time-old  mansions  and  palaces,  built  of  a 
gray  granite,  lend  a  solemn  and  almost  re¬ 
pulsively  melancholic  air  to  the  city. 

Perhaps  more  than  any  other  town,  Avila 
is  characteristic  of  the  middle  ages,  of  the 
continual  strife  between  the  noblemen,  the 
Church,  and  the  common  people.  The 
houses  of  the  aristocrats  are  castles  rather 
than  palaces,  with  no  artistic  decoration  to 
hide  their  bare  nakedness;  the  cathedral  is 
really  a  fortress,  and  not  only  apparently  so, 
as  in  Salamanca  and  Toro,  for  its  very  apse 
is  embedded  in  the  city  walls,  of  which  it 
forms  a  part,  a  battlemented,  turreted,  and 
warlike  projection,  sure  of  having  to  bear 
the  brunt  of  an  attack  in  case  of  a  siege. 

Like  the  general  aspect  of  the  city  is  also 
302 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

the  character  of  the  inhabitant,  and  it  is  but 
drawing  it  mildly  to  state  that  Avila’s  sons 
were  ever  foremost  in  battle  and  strife.  Kings 
in  their  minority  were  brought  hither  by 
prudent  mothers  who  relied  more  upon  the 
city’s  walls  than  upon  the  promises  of  noble¬ 
men  in  Valladolid  and  Burgos;  this  trust  was 
never  misplaced.  In  the  conquest  of  Extre¬ 
madura  and  of  Andalusia,  also,  the  Avilese 
troops,  headed  by  daring  warrior-prelates, 
played  a  most  important  part,  and,  as  a 
frontier  fortress,  together  with  Segovia, 
against  Aragon  to  the  east,  it  managed  to 
keep  away  from  Castilian  territory  the  am¬ 
bitions  of  the  monarchs  of  the  rival  kingdom. 

Avela  of  the  Romans  was  a  garrison  town, 
the  walls  of  which  were  partly  thrown  down 
by  the  Western  Goths  upon  their  arrival  in 
the  peninsula.  Previously,  San  Segundo,  one 
of  the  disciples  of  the  Apostles  who  had 
visited  Betica  (Andalusia),  preached  the 
True  Word  in  Avila,  and  was  created  its 
first  bishop  —  in  the  first  century.  During 
the  terrible  persecution  of  the  Christians 
under  the  reign  of  Trajanus,  one  San  Vicente 
and  his  two  sisters,  Sabina  and  Cristeta,  es¬ 
caped  from  Portugal  and  came  to  Avila,  hop¬ 
ing  to  be  hospitably  received.  All  in  vain; 

303 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

their  heads  were  smashed  between  stones, 
and  their  bodies  left  to  rot  in  the  streets. 
An  immense  serpent  emerged  from  the  city 
walls  and  kept  guard  over  the  three  saintly 
corpses.  The  first  to  approach  was  a  Jew, 
drawn  hither  by  curiosity;  he  was  imme- 
diatelv  enveloped  by  the  reptile's  body.  On 
the  point  of  being  strangled,  he  pronounced 
the  word,  "Jesus"  —  and  the  serpent  re¬ 
leased  him.  So  grateful  was  the  Jew  at  be¬ 
ing  delivered  from  death  that  he  turned 
Christian  and  erected  a  church  in  honour  of 
San  Vicente,  Sabina,  and  Cristeta,  and  had 
them  buried  within  its  walls. 

This  church  subsisted  throughout  the  dark 
ages  of  the  Moorish  invasion  until  at  last 
Fernando  I.  removed  the  saintly  remains  to 
Leon  in  the  eleventh  century.  The  church 
was  then  destroyed,  and,  it  is  believed,  the 
present  cathedral  was  built  on  the  same 
spot. 

The  Moors,  calling  the  city  Abila,  used  it 
as  one  of  the  fortresses  defending  Toledo  on 
the  north  against  the  continual  Christian 
raids ;  with  varying  success  they  held  it  until 
the  end  of  the  eleventh  century,  when  it 
finally  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Christians, 
and  was  repopulated  a  short  time  before 

3°4 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Salamanca  toward  the  end  of  the  same  cen¬ 
tury. 

During  the  centuries  of  Moorish  dominion 
the  see  had  fallen  into  the  completest  ob¬ 
livion,  no  mention  being  made  of  any  bishops 
of  Avila;  the  ecclesiastical  dignity  was  re¬ 
established  immediately  after  the  final  con¬ 
quest  of  the  region  to  the  north  of  the  Sierra 
of  Guaderrama,  and  though  documents  are 
lacking  as  to  who  was  the  first  prelate  de 
modernis,  it  is  generally  believed  to  have 
been  one  Jeronimo,  toward  the  end  of  the 
eleventh  century. 

The  city  grew  rapidly  in  strength ;  set¬ 
tlers  came  from  the  north  —  from  Castile 
and  Leon  —  and  from  the  east  from  Ara¬ 
gon;  they  travelled  to  their  new  home  in  bul¬ 
lock-carts  containing  household  furniture, 
agricultural  and  war  implements,  wives, 
and  children. 

In  the  subsequent  history  of  Spain  Avila 
played  an  important  part,  and  many  a  stir¬ 
ring  event  took  place  within  its  walls.  It 
was  besieged  by  the  Aragonese  Alfonso  el 
Batallador.  whose  army  advanced  to  the  at¬ 
tack  behind  its  prisoners,  sons  of  Avila. 
Brothers,  fathers,  and  relatives  were  thus 
obliged  to  fire  upon  their  own  kin  if  they 

305 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


wished  to  save  their  city.  The  same  king,  it 
is  said,  killed  his  hostages  by  having  their 
heads  cut  off  and  boiled  in  oil,  as  though 
severed  heads  were  capable  of  feeling  the  de¬ 
lightful  sensation  of  seething  oil! 

Of  all  the  traditions  as  numerous  here  as 
elsewhere,  the  prettiest  and  most  improbable 
is  doubtless  that  of  Nalvillos.  a  typical 
chevalier  of  romance,  who  fell  desperately 
in  love  with  a  beautiful  Moorish  princess  and 
wedded  her.  She  pined,  however,  for  a  lover 
whom  in  her  youth  she  had  promised  to  wed. 
and  though  her  husband  erected  palaces  and 
bought  slaves  for  her.  she  escaped  with  her 
sweetheart.  Nalvillos  followed  the  couple 
to  where  they  lay  retired  in  a  castle,  and  it 
was  surrounded  by  him  and  his  trusty  fol¬ 
lowers.  The  hero  himself,  disguised  as  a 
seller  of  curative  herbs,  entered  the  apart¬ 
ment  where  his  wife  was  waiting  for  her 
lover's  return,  and  made  himself  known.  The 
former's  return,  however,  cut  matters  short, 
and  Nalvillos  was  obliged  to  hide  himself. 
The  Moorish  girl  was  true  to  her  love,  and 
told  her  sweetheart  where  the  Christian  was 
hiding;  brought  out  of  his  retreat,  he  was 
on  the  point  of  being  killed  when  he  asked 
permission  to  blow  a  last  blast  on  his  bugle 

306 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

—  a  wish  that  was  readily  conceded  by  the 
magnanimous  lover.  The  result?  The 
princess  and  her  sweetheart  were  burnt  to 
death  by  the  flames  ignited  by  Nalvillos’s 
soldiers.  The  Christian  warrior  was,  of 
course,  able  to  escape. 

In  1455  the  effigy  of  Henry  IV.  was  de¬ 
throned  in  Avila  by  the  prelates  of  Toledo 
and  other  cities,  and  by  an  assembly  of  noble-, 
men  who  felt  that  feudalism  was  dying  out, 
and  were  anxious  to  strike  a  last  blow  at 
the  weak  king  whom  they  considered  was 
their  enemy. 

The  effigy  was  placed  on  a  throne;  the 
Archbishop  of  Toledo  harangued  the  multi¬ 
tude  which,  silent  and  scowling,  was  kept 
away  from  the  throne  by  a  goodly  number  of 
obedient  mercenary  soldiers.  Then  the  prel¬ 
ate  tore  off  the  mock  crown,  another  of  the 
conspirators  the  sceptre,  another  the  royal 
garments,  and  so  on,  each  accompanying  his 
act  by  an  ignominious  curse.  At  last  the 
effigy  was  torn  from  the  throne  and  trampled 
under  the  feet  of  the  soldiers.  Alfonso,  a 
boy  of  eleven,  stepped  on  the  dais  and  was 
proclaimed  king.  His  hand  was  kissed  by 
the  humble  ( !)  prelates  and  noblemen,  who 
swore  allegiance,  an  oath  they  had  not  the 

307 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spam 

slightest  intention  of  keeping,  and  did  not 
keep,  either. 

Philip  II IPs  decree  expelling  Moors  from 
Spain,  was,  as  in  the  case  of  Plasencia,  the 
coup  de  grace  given  to  the  city’s  importance; 
half  the  population  was  obliged  to  leave, 
and  Avila  never  recovered  her  lost  impor¬ 
tance  and  influence.  To-day,  with  only  about 
ten  thousand  inhabitants,  thrown  in  the 
background  by  Madrid,  it  manages  to  keep 
alive  and  nothing  more. 

The  date  when  the  erection  of  the  cathe¬ 
dral  church  of  Avila  was  begun  is  utterly 
unknown.  According  to  a  pious  legend,  it 
was  founded  by  the  third  bishop,  Don  Pedro, 
who,  being  anxious  to  erect  a  temple  worthy 
of  his  dignity,  undertook  a  long  pilgrimage 
to  foreign  countries  in  search  of  arms,  and 
returned  to  his  see  in  1091.  Sixteen  years 
later,  according  to  the  same  tradition,  the 
present  cathedral  was  essentially  completed, 
a  bold  statement  that  cannot  be  accepted  be¬ 
cause  in  manifest  contradiction  with  the 
build  of  the  church. 

According  to  Senor  Quadrado,  the  oldest 
part  of  the  building,  the  apse,  was  probably 
erected  toward  the  end  of  the  twelfth  cen¬ 
tury.  It  is  a  massive,  almost  windowless, 

308 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

semicircular  body,  its  bare  walls  unsupported 
by  buttresses,  and  every  inch  of  it  like  the 
corner-tower  of  a  castle  wall,  crenelated  and 
flat-topped. 

The  same  author  opines  that  the  transept, 
a  handsome,  broad,  and  airy  ogival  nave, 
dates  from  the  fourteenth  century,  whereas 
the  western  front  of  the  church  is  of  a  much 
more  recent  date. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  the  fact  is  that  the  cathe¬ 
dral  of  Avila,  seen  from  the  east,  west,  or 
north,  is  a  fortress  building,  a  huge,  un¬ 
wieldy  and  anti-artistic  composition  of  Ro¬ 
manesque,  Gothic,  and  other  elements.  The 
western  front,  with  its  heavy  tower  to  the 
north,  and  the  lack  of  such  to  the  south, 
appears  more  gloomy  than  ever  on  account 
of  the  obscure  colour  of  the  stone;  the  fagade 
above  the  portal  is  of  one  of  the  most  pecul¬ 
iar  of  artistic  conceptions  ever  imagined ; 
above  the  first  body  or  the  pointed  arch 
which  crowns  the  portal  comes  the  second 
body,  divided  from  the  former  by  a  straight 
line,  which  supports  eight  columns  flanking 
seven  niches;  on  the  top  of  this  unlucky 
part  comes  an  ogival  window.  The  whole 
fagade  is  narrow  —  one  door  —  and  high. 
The  effect  is  disastrous:  an  unnecessary  con- 

309 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

tortion  or  misplacement  of  vertical,  horizon¬ 
tal.  slanting,  and  circular  lines. 

The  tower  is  flanked  at  the  angles  bv  wo 
rims  of  stone,  the  edges  of  which  are  cut  into 
bolus  (balls).  If  this  shows  certain  Mudejar 
taste,  so,  also,  do  the  geometrical  designs 
carved  in  relief  against  a  background,  as  seen 
in  the  arabesques  above  the  upper  windows. 

The  northern  portal,  excepting  the  upper 
arch,  which  is  but  slightly  curved  and  almost 
horizontal,  and  weighs  down  the  ogival 
arches,  is  far  better  as  regards  the  artist's 
conception  of  beauty;  the  stone  carving  is 
also  of  a  better  class. 

Returning  to  the  interior  of  the  building, 
preferably  by  the  transept,  the  handsomest 
pan  of  the  church,  the  spectator  perceives  a 
double  ambulator}'  behind  the  high  altar; 
the  latter,  as  welRas  the  choir,  is  love,  and 
a  fine  view  is  obtained  of  the  ensemble.  The 
central  nave,  almost  twice  as  high  and  little 
broader  than  the  aisles,  is  crowned  by  a  dou¬ 
ble  triforium  of  Gothic  elegance. 

Seen  from  the  transept,  it  would  appear  as 
though  there  were  four  aisles  on  the  west 
side  instead  of  two.  a  peculiar  deception  pro¬ 
duced  by  the  lateral  opening  of  the  last 
chapels,  exactly  similar  in  construction  to 

310 


Tower  of 

AVILA  CATHEDRAL 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

the  arch  which  crowns  the  intersection  of  the 
aisles  and  transept. 

In  the  northern  and  southern  extremity  of 
the  transept  two  handsome  rosaces,  above  a 
row  of  lancet  windows,  let  in  the  outside  light 
through  stained  panes. 

The  impression  produced  by  the  interior 
of  the  cathedral  is  greatly  superior  to  that 
received  from  without.  In  the  latter  case 
curiosity  is  about  the  only  sentiment  felt  by 
the  spectator,  whereas  within  the  temple 
does  not  lack  a  simple  beauty  and  mystery. 

As  regards  sculptural  details,  the  best  are 
doubtless  the  low  reliefs  to  be  seen  to  the  rear 
of  the  choir,  as  well  as  several  sepulchres, 
of  which  the  best  —  and  one  of  the  best 
Renaissance  monuments  of  its  kind  in  Spain 
— -  is  that  of  the  Bishop  Alfonso  Tostado  in 
the  ambulatory.  The  retablo  of  the  high 
altar  is  also  a  magnificent  piece  of  work  of 
the  second  half  of  the  fifteenth  century  and 
the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth. 


Ill 


SEGOVIA 

Avila’S  twin  sister,  Segovia,  retains  its  old 
Celtiberian  name;  it  retains,  also,  the  un¬ 
deniable  proofs  of  Roman  domination  in  its 
far-famed  aqueduct  and  in  its  amphitheatre. 

According  to  the  popular  tradition,  San 
Hierateo,  the  disciple  of  St.  Paul,  was  the 
first  bishop  in  the  first  century,  but  probably 
the  see  was  not  erected  until  about  527,  when 
it  is  first  mentioned  in  a  Tolesian  document; 
the  name  of  the  first  bishop  (historical)  is 
Peter,  who  was  present  at  the  third  Council 
in  Toledo  (589). 

The  local  saint  is  one  San  Fruto,  who, 
upon  the  approach  of  the  Saracen  hosts, 
gathered  together  a  handful  of  fugitives  and 
retired  to  the  mountains;  his  brother  Valen¬ 
tine  and  his  sister  Engracia  (of  Aragonese 
fame?)  died  martyrs  to  their  belief.  San 
Fruto,  on  the  other  hand,  lived  the  life  of  a 
hermit  in  the  mountains  and  wrought  many 

3 1 2 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

miracles,  such  as  splitting  open  a  rock  with 
his  jack-knife,  etc.  The  most  miraculous  of 
his  deeds  was  the  proof  he  gave  to  the  Moors 
of  the  genuineness  of  the  Catholic  religion: 
on  a  tray  of  oats  he  placed  the  host  and 
offered  it  to  a  mule,  which,  instead  of  munch¬ 
ing  oats  and  host,  fell  on  its  knees,  and  per¬ 
haps  even  crossed  itself! 

Disputed  by  Arabs  and  Christians,  like  all 
Castilian  towns,  Segovia  lagged  along  until 
it  fell  definitely  into  the  hands  of  the  latter. 
A  Christian  colony  seems,  nevertheless,  to 
have  lived  in  the  town  during  the  Arab 
dominion,  because  the  documents  of  the  time 
speak  of  a  Bishop  Ilderedo  in  940. 

The  exact  year  of  the  repopulation  of 
Segovia  is  not  known,  but  doubtless  it  was  a 
decade  or  so  prior  to  either  that  of  Sala¬ 
manca  or  Avila. 

Neither  was  the  warlike  spirit  of  the  in¬ 
habitants  inferior  to  that  of  their  brethren 
in  the  last-^fiamed  cities.  It  was  due  to  their 
bravery  that  Madrid  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  Christians  toward  mo,  for,  arriving  late 
at  the  besieging  camp,  the  king,  who  was 
present,  told  them  that  if  they  wished  to  pass 
the  night  comfortably,  there  was  but  one 
place,  namely,  the  city  itself.  Without  a 

3*3 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

moment's  hesitation  the  daring  warriors 
dashed  at  the  walls  of  Madrid,  and,  scaling 
them,  took  a  tower,  where  they  passed  the 
night  at  their  ease,  and  to  their  monarch's 
great  astonishment. 

In  in 5.  the  first  bishop  de  modernis,  Don 
Pedro,  was  consecrated,  and  the  cathedral 
was  begun  at  about  the  same  time.  Several 
of  the  successive  prelates  were  battling  war¬ 
riors  rather  than  spiritual  shepherds,  and 
fought  with  energy  and  success  against  the 
infidel  in  Andalusia.  One,  Don  Gutierre 
Giron,  even  found  his  death  in  the  terrible 
defeat  of  the  Christian  arms  at  Alarcon. 

The  event  which  brought  the  greatest  fame 
to  Segovia  was  the  erection  of  its  celebrated 
Alcazar,  or  castle,  the  finest  specimen  of 
military  architecture  in  Spain.  Every  city- 
had  its  citadel,  it  is  true,  but  none  were  so 
strong  and  invulnerable  as  that  of  Segovia, 
and  in  the  stormy  days  of  Castilian  history 
the  monarchs  found  a  safe  retreat  from  the 
attacks  of  unscrupulous  noblemen  behind  its 
walls. 

Until  1530  the  old  cathedral  stood  at  the 
back  of  the  Alcazar,  but  in  a  revolution  of 
the  Comuneros  against  Charles-Quint,  the 
infuriated  mob.  anxious  to  seize  the  castle, 

3H 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

tore  down  the  temple  and  used  its  stones, 
beams,  stalls,  and  railings  as  a  means  to 
scale  the  high  walls  of  the  fortress.  Their 
efforts  were  in  vain,  for  an  army  came  to  the 
relief  of  the  castle  from  Valladolid;  a  gen¬ 
eral  pardon  was,  nevertheless,  granted  to  the 
population  by  the  monarch,  who  was  too  far 
off  to  care  much  what  his  Spanish  subjects 
did.  After  the  storm  was  over,  the  hot¬ 
headed  citizens  found  themselves  with  a 
bishop  and  a  chapter,  but  without  a  church 
or  means  wherewith  to  erect  a  new  one. 

The  struggles  between  city  and  fortress 
were  numerous,  and  were  the  cause,  in  a 
great  measure,  of  the  town’s  decadence. 
Upon  one  occasion,  Isabel  the  Catholic 
infringed  upon  the  citizens’  rights  by  mak¬ 
ing  a  gift  of  some  of  the  feudal  villages  to 
a  court  favourite.  The  day  after  the  news  of 
this  infringement  reached  the  city,  by  a  com¬ 
mon  accord  the  citizens  “  dressed  in  black, 
did  not  amuse  themselves,  nor  put  on  clean 
linen;  neither  did  they  sweep  the  house 
steps,  nor  light  the  lamps  at  night;  neither 
did  they  buy  nor  sell,  and  what  is  more,  they 
boxed  their  children’s  ears  so  that  they  should 
for  ever  remember  the  day.”  So  great  were 
the  public  signs  of  grief  that  it  has  been 

3i5 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

said  that  “  never  did  a  republic  wear  deeper 
mourning  for  the  loss  of  its  liberties.” 

The  end  of  the  matter  was  that  the  queen 
in  her  famous  testament  revoked  her  gift 
and  returned  the  villages  to  the  city. 

The  old  cathedral  was  torn  down  in  No¬ 
vember,  1520,  and  it  was  not  until  June, 
1525,  that  the  bishop,  who  had  made  a  pa¬ 
triotic  appeal  to  all  Spaniards  in  behalf  of 
the  church  funds,  laid  the  first  stone  of  the 
new  edifice.  Thirty  years  later  the  building 
was  consecrated. 

Nowhere  else  can  a  church  be  found  which 
is  a  more  thorough  expression  of  a  city’s 
fervour  and  enthusiasm.  It  was  as  though 
the  sacrilegious  act  of  the  enraged  mob  re¬ 
acted  on  the  penitent  minds  of  the  calmed 
citizens,  for  rich  and  poor  alike  gave  their 
alms  to  the  cathedral  chapter.  Jewels  were 
sold,  donations  came  from  abroad,  feudal 
lords  gave  whole  villages  to  the  church,  and 
the  poor  men,  the  workmen,  and  the  peasants 
gave  their  pennies.  Daily  processions  ar¬ 
rived  at  Santa  Clara,  then  used  as  cathedral 
church,  from  all  parts  of  the  diocese.  To¬ 
day  they  were  composed  of  tradesmen,  of 
Ziinfte,  who  gave  their  offerings  of  a  few 
pounds;  to-morrow  a  village  would  bring 

316 


A 1 700  4  Q  - 
7  II  i  A  C 


.  . 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

in  a  cartload  of  stone,  of  mortar,  of  wood, 
etc.  On  holidays  and  Sundays  the  repentant 
citizens,  instead  of  amusing  themselves  at  the 
dance  or  bull-fight,  carted  materials  for  their 
new  cathedral’s  erection,  and  all  this  they  did 
of  their  own  free  will. 

The  act  of  consecrating  the  finished  build¬ 
ing  constituted  a  grand  holiday.  The  long 
aqueduct  was  illuminated  from  top  to  bottom, 
as  was  also  the  cathedral  tower,  and  every 
house  in  the  city.  During  a  week  the  holi¬ 
day-making  lasted  with  open-air  amusements 
for  the  poor  and  banquets  for  the  rich. 

The  date  of  the  construction  of  the  new 
building  was  contemporaneous  with  that  of 
Salamanca,  and  the  architect  was,  to  a  cer¬ 
tain  extent,  the  same.  It  is  not  strange,  there¬ 
fore,  that  both  should  resemble  each  other 
in  their  general  disposition.  What  is  more, 
the  construction  in  both  churches  was  begun 
at  the  foot  (west),  and  not  in  the  east,  as  is 
generally  the  case.  The  oldest  part  of  the 
building  is  consequently  the  western  front, 
classic  in  its  outline,  but  showing  among  its 
ogival  details  both  the  symmetry  and  tri¬ 
angular  pediment  of  Renaissance  art.  The 
tower,  higher  than  that  of  Sevilla,  and 
broader  than  that  of  Toledo,  is  simple  in  its 

3l7 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

structure;  it  is  Byzantine,  and  does  not  lack 
a  certain  cachet  of  elegance;  the  first  body 
is  surmounted  by  a  dome,  upon  which  rises 
the  second,  —  smaller,  and  also  crowned  by 
a  cupola.  The  tower  was  twice  struck  by 
lightning  and  partly  ruined  in  1620;  it  was 
rebuilt  in  1825,  and  a  lightning  conductor 
replaced  the  cross  of  the  spire. 

Though  consecrated,  as  has  been  said,  in 
1558,  the  new  temple  was  by  no  means  fin¬ 
ished:  the  transept  and  the  eastern  end  were 
still  to  be  built.  The  latter  was  finished 
prior  to  1580,  and  in  1615  the  Renaissance 
dome  which  surmounts  the  croisee  was 
erected  by  an  artist-architect,  who  evidently 
was  incapable  of  giving  it  a  true  Gothic  ap¬ 
pearance. 

The  apse,  with  its  three  harmonizing 
etages  corresponding  to  the  chapels,  aisles, 
and  nave,  and  flanked  by  leaning  buttresses 
ornamented  with  delicate  pinnacles,  is  Gothic 
in  its  details;  the  ensemble  is,  nevertheless, 
Renaissance,  thanks  to  a  perfect  symmetry 
painfully  pronounced  by  naked  horizontal 
lines  —  so  contradictory  to  the  spirit  of  true 
ogival.  Less  regularity  and  a  greater  pro¬ 
fusion  of  buttresses,  and  above  all  of  flying 
buttresses,  would  have  been  more  agreeable, 

318 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

but  the  times  had  changed  and  new  tastes  had 
entered  the  country. 

Neither  does  the  broad  transept,  its  fapade, 
—  either  southern  or  northern,  —  and  the 
cupola  join,  as  it  were,  the  eastern  and  the 
western  half  of  the  building;  on  the  con¬ 
trary,  it  distinctly  separates  them,  not  to  the 
building’s  advantage. 

The  interior  is  gay  rather  than  solemn: 
the  general  disposition  of  the  parts  is  as 
customary  in  a  Gothic  church  of  the  Tran¬ 
sition  (Renaissance).  The  nave  and  transept 
are  of  the  same  width;  the  lateral  chapels, 
running  along  the  exterior  walls  of  the 
aisles,  are  symmetrical,  as  in  Salamanca;  the 
ambulatory  separates  the  high  altar  from  the 
apse  and  its  seven  chapels. 

The  pavement  of  the  church  is  of  black 
and  white  marble  slabs,  like  that  of  Toledo, 
for  instance;  as  for  the  stained  windows,  they 
are  numerous,  and  those  in  the  older  part  of 
the  building  of  good  (Flemish?)  workman¬ 
ship  and  of  a  rich  colour,  which  heightens 
the  happy  expression  of  the  whole  building. 

The  cloister  is  the  oldest  part  of  the  build¬ 
ing,  having  pertained  to  the  previous  cathe¬ 
dral.  After  the  latter’s  destruction,  and  the 
successful  erection  of  the  new  temple,  the 

3i9 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

cloister  was  transported  stone  by  stone  from 
its  old  emplacement  to  where  it  now  stands. 
It  is  a  handsome  and  richly  decorated  Gothic 
building,  containing  many  tombs,  among 
them  those  of  the  architects  of  the  cathedral 
and  of  Maria  del  Salto.  This  Mary  was  a 
certain  Jewess,  who,  condemned  to  death, 
and  thrown  over  the  Pena  Grajera,  invoked 
the  aid  of  the  Virgin,  and  was  saved. 

Another  tomb  is  that  of  Prince  Don  Pedro, 
son  of  Enrique  II.,  who  fell  out  of  a  window 
of  the  Alcazar.  His  nurse,  according  to  the 
tradition,  threw  herself  out  of  the  window 
after  her  charge,  and  together  they  were 
picked  up,  one  locked  in  the  arms  of  the 
other. 


320 


IV 


MADRID  -  ALCALA 

THOUGH  Madrid  was  proclaimed  the  capi¬ 
tal  of  Spain  in  the  sixteenth  century,  it  was 
not  until  1850  that  its  collegiate  church  of 
San  Isidro  was  raised  to  an  episcopal  see. 

The  appointment  met  with  a  storm  of 
disapproval  in  the  neighbouring  town  of 
Alcala  de  Henares,  the  citizens  claiming  the 
erection  of  the  ecclesiastical  throne  in  their 
own  collegiate,  instead  of  in  Madrid. 
Their  reasons  were  purely  historical,  as  will 
be  seen  later  on,  whereas  the  capital  lacked 
both  history  and  ecclesiastical  significance. 

To  pacify  the  inhabitants  of  Alcala,  and 
at  the  same  time  to  raise  Madrid  to  the  rank 
of  a  city,  the  following  arrangement  was 
made:  the  newly  created  see  was  to  be  called 
Madrid-Alcala;  the  bishop  was  to  possess 
two  cathedral  churches,  and  both  towns  were 
to  be  cities. 

Such  is  the  state  of  affairs  at  present.  The 
321 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

recent  governmental  closure  of  the  old  cathe¬ 
dral  in  Alcala  has  deprived  the  partisans  of 
the  double  see  of  one  of  their  chief  argu¬ 
ments,  namely,  the  possession  of  a  worthy 
temple,  unique  in  the  world  as  regards  its 
organization.  Consequently,  it  is  generally 
stated  that  the  title  of  Madrid-Alcala  will 
die  out  with  the  present  bishop,  and  that  the 
next  will  simply  be  the  Bishop  of  Madrid. 

Madrid 

The  city  of  Madrid  is  new  and  uninterest¬ 
ing;  it  is  an  overgrown  village,  with  no 
buildings  worthy  of  the  capital  of  a  kingdom. 
From  an  architectural  point  of  view,  the 
royal  palace,  majestic  and  imposing,  though 
decidedly  poor  in  style,  is  about  the  only 
edifice  that  can  be  admired. 

In  history,  Madrid  plays  a  most  unim¬ 
portant  part  until  the  times  of  Philip  II.,  the 
black-browed  monarch  who,  intent  upon 
erecting  his  mausoleum  in  the  Escorial,  pro¬ 
claimed  Madrid  to  be  the  only  capital.  That 
was  in  1560;  previously  Magerit  had  been 
an  Arab  fortress  to  the  north  of  Toledo, 
and  the  first  in  the  region  now  called  Cas¬ 
tilla  la  Nueva  (New  Castile),  to  distinguish 

322 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

it  from  Old  Castile,  which  lies  to  the  north 
of  the  mountain  chain. 

Most  likely  Magerit  had  been  founded  by 
the  Moors,  though,  as  soon  as  it  had  become 
the  capital  of  Spain,  its  inhabitants,  who  were 
only  too  eager  to  lend  their  town  a  history 
it  did  not  possess,  invented  a  series  of  tradi¬ 
tions  and  legends  more  ridiculous  than  ve¬ 
racious. 

On  the  slopes  of  the  last  hill,  descending 
to  the  Manzanares,  and  beside  the  present 
royal  palace,  the  Christian  conquerors  of  the 
Arab  fortress  in  the  twelfth  century  dis¬ 
covered  an  effigy  of  the  Virgin,  in  an 
almudena  or  storehouse.  This  was  the  start¬ 
ing-point  for  the  traditions  of  the  twelfth- 
century  monks  who  discovered  (?)  that  this 
effigy  had  been  placed  where  it  was  found 
by  St.  James,  according  to  some,  and  by  the 
Virgin  herself,  according  to  others;  what  is 
more,  they  even  established  a  series  of  bishops 
in  Magerit  previous  to  the  Arab  invasion. 

No  foundations  are  of  course  at  hand  for 
such  fabulous  inventions,  and  if  the  effigy 
really  were  found  in  the  almudena,  it  must 
have  been  placed  there  by  the  Moors  them¬ 
selves,  who  most  likely  had  taken  it  as  their 


323 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

booty  when  sacking  a  church  or  convent  to 
the  north. 

The  patron  saint  of  Madrid  is  one  Isidro, 
not  to  be  confounded  with  San  Isidoro  of 
Leon.  The  former  was  a  farmer  or  labourer, 
who,  with  his  wife,  lived  a  quiet  and  un¬ 
pretentious  life  in  the  vicinity  of  Madrid,  on 
the  opposite  banks  of  the  Manzanares,  where 
a  chapel  was  erected  to  his  memory  some¬ 
time  in  the  seventeenth  century.  Of  the 
many  miracles  this  saint  is  supposed  to  have 
wrought,  not  one  differs  from  the  usual  deeds 
attributed  to  holy  individuals.  Being  a 
farmer,  his  voice  called  forth  water  from 
the  parched  land,  and  angels  helped  his 
oxen  to  plough  the  fields. 

Save  the  effigy  of  the  Virgin  de  la  Almu- 
dena,  and  the  life  of  San  Isidro,  Madrid 
has  no  ecclesiastical  history,  —  the  Virgin 
de  la  Atocha  has  been  forgotten,  but  she 
is  only  a  duplicate  of  her  sister  virgin.  Con¬ 
vents  and  monasteries  are  of  course  as  numer¬ 
ous  as  elsewhere  in  Spain;  brick  parish 
churches  of  a  decided  Spanish-Oriental 
appearance  rear  their  cupolas  skyward  in 
almost  every  street,  the  largest  among  them 
being  San  Francisco  el  Grande,  which,  with 
San  Antonio  de  la  Florida  (containing 

324 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

several  handsome  paintings  by  Goya),  is  the 
only  temple  worth  visiting. 

As  regards  a  cathedral  building,  there  is, 
in  the  lower  part  of  the  city,  a  large  stone 
church  dedicated  to  San  Isidro;  it  serves  the 
stead  of  a  cathedral  church  until  a  new  build¬ 
ing,  begun  about  1885,  will  have  been  com¬ 
pleted. 

This  new  building,  the  cathedral  properly 
speaking,  is  to  be  a  tenth  wonder;  it  is  to 
be  constructed  in  granite,  and  its  foundations 
stand  beside  the  royal  palace  in  the  very 
spot  where  the  Virgin  de  la  Alrnudena  was 
found,  and  where,  until  1869,  a  church  en¬ 
closed  the  sacred  effigy;  the  new  building  is 
to  be  dedicated  to  the  same  deity. 

Unluckily,  the  erection  of  the  new  cathe¬ 
dral  proceeds  but  slowly;  so  far  only  the 
basement  stones  have  been  laid  and  the  crypt 
finished.  The  funds  for  its  erection  are 
entirely  dependent  upon  alms,  but,  as  the 
religious  fervour  which  incited  the  inhabit¬ 
ants  of  Segovia  in  the  sixteenth  century  is 
almost  dead  to-day,  it  is  an  open  question 
whether  the  cathedral  of  Madrid  will  ever 
be  finished. 

The  temporary  cathedral  of  San  Isidro 
was  erected  in  the  seventeenth  century;  its 

325 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

two  clumsy  towers  are  unfinished,  its  western 
front,  between  the  towers,  is  severe;  four 
columns  support  the  balcony,  behind  which 
the  cupola,  which  crowns  the  croisee,  peeps 
forth. 

Inside  there  is  nothing  worthy  of  interest 
to  be  admired  except  some  pictures,  one  of 
them  painted  by  the  Divino  Morales.  The 
nave  is  light,  but  the  chapels  are  so  dark  that 
almost  nothing  can  be  seen  in  their  interior. 

This  church,  until  the  expulsion  of  the 
Jesuits,  was  the  temple  of  their  order,  dedi¬ 
cated  to  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul;  adjoining 
it  a  Jesuit  school  was  erected,  which  has 
been  incorporated  in  the  government  colleges. 

Alcala  de  Henares 

About  twenty  miles  to  the  east  of  Madrid 
lies  the  one-time  glorious  university  city  of 
Alcala,  famous  above  all  things  for  having 
been  the  cradle  of  Cervantes,  and  the  hearth, 
if  not  the  home,  of  Cardinal  Cisneros. 

Its  history  and  its  decadence  are  of  the 
saddest;  the  latter  serves  in  many  respects 
as  an  adequate  symbol  of  Spain’s  own  tre¬ 
mendous  downfall. 

The  Romans  founded  Alcala;  it  was  their 
326 


' 


O  AN.  ISIDRO, 
o  MADRID 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Complutum,  of  which  some  few  remains  have 
been  discovered  in  the  vicinity  of  the  modern 
city.  Yet,  notwithstanding  this  lack  of  sub¬ 
stantial  evidence,  the  inhabitants  of  the 
region  still  proudly  call  themselves  Com- 
plutenses. 

When  the  West  Goths  were  rulers  of  the 
peninsula,  the  Roman  monuments  must  have 
been  completely  destroyed,  for  all  traces  of 
the  strategic  stronghold  were  effaced  from 
the  map  of  Spain.  The  invading  Arabs, 
possessing  to  a  certain  degree  both  Roman 
military  instinct  and  foresight,  built  a  for¬ 
tress  on  the  spot  where  the  State  Archives 
Building  stands  to-day.  This  castle  was 
used  by  them  as  one  of  Toledo’s  northern 
defences  against  the  warlike  Christian  kings. 

In  the  twelfth  century  the  fortress  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  Christians;  in  the  succeed¬ 
ing  centuries  it  was  strongly  rebuilt  by  the 
cardinal-archbishops  of  Toledo,  who  used 
it  both  as  their  palace  and  as  their  strong¬ 
hold. 

Outside  the  bastioned  and  turreted  walls 
of  the  castle,  the  new-born  city  grew  up  under 
its  protecting  shadows.  Known  by  the 
Arabic  name  of  its  fortress  (Al-Kala),  it  was 
successively  baptized  Alcala  de  San  Justo, 

327 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Alcala  de  Fenares,  and  since  the  sixteenth 
century,  Alcala  de  Henares  ( heno ,  old  Span¬ 
ish  feno,  meaning  hay).  Protected  by  such 
powerful  arms  as  those  of  the  princes  of  the 
Church,  it  grew  up  to  be  a  second  Toledo, 
a  city  of  church  spires  and  convent  walls,  but 
of  which  only  a  reduced  number  stand  to-day 
to  point  back  to  the  religious  fervour  of  the 
middle  ages. 

The  world-spread  fame  acquired  by  Alcala 
in  the  fifteenth  century  was  due  to  the  pat¬ 
ronage  of  Cardinal  Cisneros,  who  built  the 
university,  at  one  time  one  of  the  most  cele¬ 
brated  in  Europe,  and  to-day  a  mere  skeleton 
of  architectural  beauty. 

The  same  prelate  raised  San  Justo  to  a 
suffragan  church;  its  chapter  was  com¬ 
posed  only  of  learned  professors  of  the  uni¬ 
versity,  as  were  also  its  canons;  Leon  X. 
gave  it  the  enviable  title  of  La  Magistral,  the 
Learned,  which  points  it  out  as  unique  in 
the  Christian  world.  The  Polyglot  Bible, 
published  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and 
famous  in  all  Europe,  was  worked  out  by 
these  scholars  under  Cisneros’s  direction,  and 
the  favoured  city  outshone  the  newly  built 
Madrid  twenty  miles  away,  and  rivalled 


328 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Salamanca  in  learning,  and  Toledo  in 
worldly  and  religious  splendour. 

Madrid  grew  greater  and  greater  as  years 
went  by,  and  consequently  Alcala  de  Henares 
dwindled  away  to  the  shadow  of  a  name. 
The  university,  the  just  pride  of  the  Com- 
plutenses,  was  removed  to  the  capital;  the 
cathedral,  for  lack  of  proper  care,  became 
an  untimely  ruin;  the  episcopal  palace  was 
confiscated  by  the  state,  which,  besides  re¬ 
pairing  it,  filled  its  seventy  odd  halls  with 
rows  upon  rows  of  dusty  documents  and  gov¬ 
ernmental  papers. 

To-day  the  city  drags  along  a  weary,  in¬ 
active  existence:  soldiers  from  the  barracks 
and  long-robed  priests  from  the  church  fill 
the  streets,  and  are  as  numerous  as  the  civil 
inhabitants,  if  not  more  so;  convents  and 
cloisters  of  nuns,  either  grass-grown  ruins 
or  else  sombre  grated  and  barred  edifices, 
are  to  be  met  with  at  every  step. 

Strangers  visit  the  place  hurriedly  in  the 
morning  and  return  to  Madrid  in  the  after¬ 
noon;  they  buy  a  tin  box  of  sugar  almonds 
(the  city’s  specialty),  carelessly  examine  the 
university  and  the  archiepiscopal  palace,  gaze 
unmoved  at  some  Cervantes  relics,  and  at  the 
fagade  of  the  cathedral.  Besides,  they  are 

329 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

told  that  in  such  and  such  a  house  the  im¬ 
mortal  author  of  Don  Quixote  was  born, 
which  is  a  base,  though  comprehensible,  in¬ 
vention,  because  no  such  house  exists  to-day. 

That  is  all;  perchance  in  crossing  the 
city’s  only  square,  the  traveller  notices  that 
it  can  boast  of  no  fewer  than  three  names, 
doubtless  with  a  view  to  hide  its  glaring 
nakedness.  These  three  names  are  Plaza  de 
Cervantes,  Plaza  Mayor,  and  Plaza  de  la 
Constitucion,  of  which  the  latter  is  spread 
out  boldly  across  the  town  hall  and  seems 
to  invoke  the  remembrance  of  the  ephemeral 
efforts  of  the  republic  in  1869. 

In  the  third  century  after  the  birth  of 
Christ,  two  infants,  Justo  and  Pastor, 
preached  the  True  Word  to  the  unbelieving 
Roman  rulers  of  Complutum.  The  result 
was  not  in  the  least  surprising:  the  two 
infants  lost  their  baby  heads  for  the  trouble 
they  had  taken  in  trying  to  trouble  warriors. 

But  the  Vatican  remembered  them,  and 
canonized  Pastor  and  Justo.  Hundreds  of 
churches,  sown  by  the  blood  of  martyrs,  grew 
up  in  all  corners  of  the  peninsula  to  com¬ 
memorate  pagan  cruelty,  and  to  induce  all 
men  to  follow  the  examples  set  by  the  two 
babes. 


330 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

No  one  knew,  however,  where  the  mortal 
remains  of  Justo  and  Pastor  were  lying.  In 
the  fourth  century  their  resting-place  was 
miraculously  revealed  to  one  Austurio,  Arch¬ 
bishop  of  Toledo,  who  had  them  removed  to 
his  cathedral.  They  did  not  stay  long  in  the 
primate  city,  for  the  invasion  of  the  Moors 
obliged  all  True  Believers  to  hide  Church 
relics.  Thus,  Justo  and  Pastor  wandered 
forth  again  from  village  to  village,  running 
away  from  the  infidels  until  they  reposed 
temporarily  in  the  cathedral  of  Huesca  in  the 
north  of  Aragon. 

In  Alcala  their  memory  was  kept  alive 
in  the  parish  church  dedicated  to  them.  But 
as  the  city  grew,  it  was  deemed  preferable 
to  build  a  solid  temple  worthy  of  the  saintly 
pair,  and  Carillo,  Archbishop  of  Toledo,  had 
the  old  church  pulled  down  and  began  the 
erection  of  a  larger  edifice.  This  took  place 
in  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  century,  when 
Ximenez  de  Cisneros,  who  ruled  the  fate 
of  Spain  and  its  church,  gave  it  the  ecclesias¬ 
tical  constitution  previously  mentioned. 

Fifty  years  later  the  weary  bodies  of  the 
two  infants  were  brought  back  in  triumph  to 
their  native  town  amid  the  rejoicings  and 
admiration  of  the  people,  and  were  placed 

33i 


The  Cathedrals  of  Novthern  Spain 

in  the  cathedral  of  San  Justo,  then  a  colle¬ 
giate  church  of  Toledo. 

A  few  years  ago  the  cathedral  church  of 
San  Justo  was  denounced  by  the  state  archi¬ 
tect  and  closed.  To-day  it  is  a  dreary  ruin, 
with  tufts  of  grass  growing  among  the  bat¬ 
tlements.  The  chapter,  depriving  the  hoary 
building  of  its  high  altar,  its  precious  relics 
and  paintings,  its  stalls  and  other  accessories, 
installed  the  cathedral  in  the  Jesuit  temple, 
an  insignificant  building  in  the  other  extrem¬ 
ity  of  the  town.  Recently  the  abandoned 
ruin  has  been  declared  a  national  monument, 
which  means  that  the  state  is  obliged  to 
undertake  its  restoration. 

La  Magistral  is  a  brick  building  of  im¬ 
posing  simplicity  and  severity  in  its  general 
outlines.  Its  decorative  elements  are  ogival, 
but  of  true  Spanish  nakedness  and  lack  of 
elegance.  Though  Renaissance  principles 
have  not  entered  into  the  composition,  as 
might  have  been  supposed,  considering  the 
date  of  the  erection,  nevertheless,  the  lack  of 
flying  buttresses,  the  scarcity  of  windows,  the 
undecorated  angles  of  the  western  front,  the 
barren  walls,  and  flat-topped,  though  slightly 
sloping,  roofs  prove  that  the  “  simple  and 
severe  style  ”  is  latent  in  the  minds  of  artists. 

332 


0- 


rVi>!  !  H  O  f.  J  /.  '■ 

- 


Alcala  de  hen  ares 

CATHEDRAL 


The  Cathedrals  of  Novthern  Spain 

The  apse  is  well  developed,  and  the  croisee 
surmounted  by  a  cupola;  the  tower  which 
flanks  the  western  front  is  massive;  it  is 
decorated  with  blind  arches  and  ogival  ara¬ 
besques. 

The  ground  plan  of  the  building  is  Latin 
Cruciform;  the  aisles  are  but  slightly  lower 
than  the  nave  and  join  in  the  apse  behind 
the  high  altar  in  an  ambulatory  walk.  The 
crypt,  reached  by  two  Renaissance  doors  in 
the  trasaltar,  is  spacious,  and  contains  the 
bodies  of  San  Justo  and  San  Pastor. 

The  general  impression  produced  on  the 
mind  of  the  tourist  is  sadness.  The  severity 
of  the  structure  is  heightened  by  the  absence 
of  any  distracting  decorative  elements,  ex¬ 
cepting  the  fine  Mudejar  ceiling  to  the  left 
upon  entering. 

In  the  reigning  shadows  of  this  deserted 
temple,  two  magnificent  tombs  stand  in  soli¬ 
tude  and  silence.  They  are  those  of  Carillo 
and  Cardinal  Cisneros,  the  latter  one  of  the 
greatest  sons  of  Spain  and  one  of  her  most 
contradictory  geniuses.  His  sepulchre  is  a 
gorgeous  marble  monument  of  Renaissance 
style,  surrounded  by  a  massive  bronze  grille 
of  excellent  workmanship,  a  marvel  of  Span¬ 
ish  metal  art  of  the  sixteenth  century.  The 

333 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

other  sepulchre  is  simple  in  its  ogival  deco¬ 
rations,  and  the  prostrate  effigy  of  Carillo  is 
among  the  best  to  be  admired  by  the  tourist 
in  Iberia. 

Carillo’s  life  was  that  of  a  restless,  am¬ 
bitious,  and  worldly  man.  When  he  died, 
he  was  buried  in  the  Convent  of  San  Juan 
de  Dios,  where  his  illegitimate  son  had  been 
buried  before  him,  “  for,”  said  the  arch¬ 
bishop-father.,  “  if  in  life  my  robes  separated 
me  from  my  son,  in  death  we  shall  be  united.” 

But  he  reckoned  without  his  host,  or  rather 
his  successor,  the  man  whose  remains  now  lie 
beside  his  own  in  the  shadows  of  the  great 
ruin.  “  For,”  said  Cisneros,  “  the  Church 
must  separate  man  from  his  sin  even  in 
death.”  So  he  ordered  the  son  to  be  left  in 
the  convent,  and  the  father  to  be  brought 
to  the  temple  he  had  begun  to  erect. 


334 


V 


SIGUENZA 

The  origin  of  the  fortress  admirably  situ¬ 
ated  to  the  north  of  Guadalajara  was  doubt¬ 
less  Moorish,  though  in  the  vicinity  is  Villa- 
vieja,  where  the  Romans  had  established  a 
town  on  the  transverse  road  from  Cadiz  to 
Tarragon,  and  called  by  them  Seguncia,  or 
Segoncia. 

When  the  Christian  religion  first  appeared 
in  Spain,  it  is  believed  that  Siguenza,  or 
Segoncia,  possessed  an  episcopal  see;  nothing 
is  positively  known,  however,  of  the  early 
bishops,  until  Protogenes  signed  the  third 
Council  of  Toledo  in  589. 

It  is  believed  that  in  the  reign  of  Alfonso 
VI.,  he  who  conquered  Toledo  and  the  re¬ 
gion  to  the  south  of  Valladolid  and  as  far 
east  as  Aragon,  Siguenza  was  repopulated, 
though  no  mention  is  made  of  the  place  in  the 
earlier  chronicles  of  the  time.  All  that  is 
known  is  that  a  bishop  was  immediately  ap- 

335 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 


pointed  by  Alfonso  VII.  to  the  vacancy 
which  had  lasted  for  over  two  hundred  years, 
during  which  Siguenza  had  been  one  of  the 
provincial  capitals  of  the  Kingdom  of  To¬ 
ledo.  The  first  known  bishop  was  Don 
Bernardo. 

The  history  of  the  town  was  never  of  the 
most  brilliant.  In  the  times  of  Alfonso  VII. 
and  his  immediate  successors  it  gained  cer¬ 
tain  importance  as  a  frontier  stronghold,  as 
a  check  to  the  growing  ambitions  of  the 
royal  house  of  Aragon.  But  after  the  union 
of  Castile  and  Aragon,  its  importance  grad¬ 
ually  dwindled ;  to-day,  if  it  were  not  for 
the  bishopric,  it  would  be  one  historic  vil¬ 
lage  more  on  the  map  of  Spain. 

In  the  reign  of  Peter  the  Cruel,  its  castle 
—  considered  with  that  of  Segovia  to  be  the 
strongest  in  Castile  —  was  used  for  some 
time  as  the  prison  palace  for  that  most  un¬ 
happy  princess,  Dona  Blanca,  who,  married 
to  his  Catholic  Majesty,  had  been  deposed 
on  the  third  day  of  the  wedding  by  the  heart¬ 
less  and  passionate  lover  of  the  Padilla.  She 
was  at  first  shut  up  in  Toledo,  but  the  king 
did  not  consider  the  Alcazar  strong  enough. 
So  she  was  sent  off  to  Siguenza,  where  it  is 


336 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

popularly  believed,  though  documents  deny 
it,  that  she  died,  or  was  put  to  death. 

The  city  belonged  to  the  bishop;  it  was 
his  feudal  property,  and  passed  down  to  his 
successors  in  the  see.  Of  the  doings  of  these 
prelate-warriors,  the  first,  Don  Bernardo,  was 
doubtless  the  most  striking  personality,  lord 
of  a  thousand  armed  vassals  and  of  three 
hundred  horse,  who  fought  with  the  emperor 
in  almost  all  the  great  battles  in  Andalusia. 
It  is  even  believed  he  died  wielding  the 
naked  sword,  and  that  his  remains  were 
brought  back  to  the  town  of  which  he  had 
been  the  first  and  undisputed  lord. 

The  strong  castle  which  crowns  the  city 
did  not  possess,  as  was  generally  the  case, 
an  alcalde,  or  governor;  it  was  the  episcopal 
palace  or  residence,  a  circumstance  which 
proves  beyond  a  doubt  the  double  signifi¬ 
cance  of  the  bishop:  a  spiritual  leader  and 
military  personage,  more  influential  and 
wealthy  than  any  prelate  in  Spain,  except¬ 
ing  the  Archbishops  of  Toledo  and  Santiago. 

During  the  French  invasion  in  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  the  nineteenth  century,  Sigiienza  had 
already  lost  its  political  significance.  The 
invaders  occupied  the  castle,  and,  as  was 
their  custom,  threw  documents  and  archives 

337 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

into  the  fire,  to  make  room  for  themselves, 
and  to  spend  the  winter  comfortably. 

Consequently,  the  notices  we  have  of  the 
cathedral  church  are  but  scarce.  The  fourth 
bishop  was  Jocelyn,  an  Englishman  who  had 
come  over  with  Eleanor,  Henry  IE’s  daugh¬ 
ter,  and  married  to  the  King  of  Castile. 
He  (the  bishop)  was  not  a  whit  less  warlike 
than  his  predecessors  had  been;  he  helped 
the  king  to  win  the  town  of  Cuenca,  and 
when  he  died  on  the  battle-field,  only  his 
right  arm  was  carried  back  to  the  see,  to  the 
chapel  of  St.  Thomas  of  Canterbury,  which 
the  dead  prelate  had  founded  in  the  new 
cathedral,  and  it  was  buried  beneath  a  stone 
which  bears  the  following  inscription: 

“Hie  est  inclusa  Jocelini  preesulis  ulna.” 

From  the  above  we  can  conclude  that  the 
cathedral  must  have  been  begun  previous  to 
the  Englishman’s  coming  to  Spain,  that  is, 
in  the  beginning  of  the  twelfth  century. 
Doubtless  the  vaulting  was  not  closed  until 
at  least  one  hundred  years  later;  neverthe¬ 
less,  it  is  one  of  the  unique  and  at  the  same 
time  one  of  the  handsomest  Spanish  monu¬ 
ments  of  the  Transition  period. 

338 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

The  city  of  Sigiienza,  situated  on  the  slopes 
of  a  hill  crowned  by  the  castle,  is  a  village 
rather  than  a  town;  there  are,  however, 
fewer  spots  in  Spain  that  are  more  pictur¬ 
esque  in  their  old  age,  and  there  is  a  certain 
uniformity  in  the  architecture  that  reminds 
one  of  German  towns;  this  is  not  at  all 
characteristic  of  Spain,  where  so  many  styles 
mix  and  mingle  until  hardly  distinguishable 
from  each  other. 

The  Transition  style  —  between  the  strong 
Romanesque  and  the  airy  ogival  —  is  the 
city’s  cachet,  printed  with  particular  care  on 
the  handsome  cathedral  which  stands  on  the 
slope  of  the  hill  to  the  north  of  the  castle. 

Two  massive  square  towers,  crenelated 
at  the  top  and  pierced  by  a  few  round-headed 
windows,  flank  the  western  front.  The  three 
portals  are  massive  Romanesque  without 
floral  or  sculptural  decoration  of  any  kind; 
the  central  door  is  larger  and  surmounted  by 
a  large  though  primitive  rosace.  The  height 
of  the  aisles  and  nave  is  indicated  by  three 
ogival  arches  cut  in  relief  on  the  facade; 
here  already  the  mixture  of  both  styles,  of 
the  round-arched  Romanesque  and  the 
pointed  Gothic,  is  clearly  visible  —  as  it  is 
also  in  the  windows  of  the  aisles,  which  are 

339 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Romanesque,  and  of  the  nave,  which  are 
ogival  —  in  the  buttresses,  which  are  leaning 
on  the  lower  body,  and  flying  in  the  upper 
story,  uniting  the  exterior  of  the  clerestory 
with  that  of  the  aisles.  (Compare  with  apse 
of  the  cathedral  of  Lugo.) 

The  portal  of  the  southern  arm  of  the  tran¬ 
sept  is  an  ugly  addition,  more  modern  and 
completely  out  of  harmony  with  the  rest. 
The  rosace  above  the  door  is  one  of  the  hand¬ 
somest  of  the  Transition  period  in  Spain, 
and  the  stained  glass  is  both  rich  and  mellow. 

The  interior  shows  the  same  harmonious 
mixture  of  the  stronger  and  more  solemn  old 
style,  and  the  graceful  lightness  of  the  newer. 
But  the  hesitancy  in  the  mind  of  the  archi¬ 
tect  is  also  evident,  especially  in  the  vaulting, 
which  is  timidly  arched. 

The  original  plan  of  the  church  was, 
doubtless,  purely  Romanesque:  Roman  cruci¬ 
form  with  a  three-lobed  apse,  the  central  one 
much  longer  so  as  to  contain  the  high  altar. 

In  the  sixteenth  century,  however,  an 
ambulatory  was  constructed  behind  the  high 
altar,  joining  the  two  aisles,  and  the  high 
altar  was  removed  to  the  east  of  the  tran¬ 
sept. 

What  a  pity  that  the  huge  choir,  placed 
340 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

in  the  centre  of  the  church,  should  so  com¬ 
pletely  obstruct  the  view  of  the  ensemble  of 
the  nave  and  aisles,  separated  by  massive 
Byzantine  arches  between  the  solid  pillars, 
which,  in  their  turn,  support  the  nascent 
ogival  vaulting  of  the  high  nave!  Were  it, 
as  well  as  the  grotesque  trascoro  —  of  the 
unhappiest  artistic  taste  —  anywhere  but  iji 
the  centre  of  the  church,  what  a  splendid 
view  would  be  obtained  of  the  long,  narrow, 
and  high  aisles  and  nave  in  which  the  old  and 
the  new  were  moulded  together  in  perfect 
harmony,  instead  of  fighting  each  other  and 
clashing  together,  as  happened  in  so  many 
Spanish  cathedral  churches! 

One  of  the  most  richly  decorated  parts  of 
the  church  is  the  sacristy,  a  small  room  en¬ 
tirely  covered  with  medallions  and  sculptural 
designs  of  the  greatest  variety  of  subjects. 
Though  of  Arabian  taste  (Mudejar),  no 
Moorish  elements  have  entered  into  the 
composition,  and  consequently  it  is  one  of  the 
very  finest,  if  not  the  very  best  specimen,  of 
Christian  Arab  decoration. 


34i 


VI 


CUENCA 

To  the  east  of  Toledo,  and  to  the  north  of 
the  plains  of  La  Mancha,  Cuenca  sits  on 
its  steep  hill  surrounded  by  mountains;  a 
high  stone  bridge,  spanning  a  green  valley 
and  the  rushing  river,  joined  the  city  to  a 
mountain  plateau;  to-day  the  mediaeval 
bridge  has  been  replaced  by  an  iron  one, 
which  contrasts  harshly  with  the  somnolent 
aspect  of  the  landscape. 

Never  was  a  city  founded  in  a  more  pictur¬ 
esque  spot.  It  almost  resembles  Goschenen 
in  Switzerland,  with  the  difference  that 
whereas  in  the  last  named  village  a  white¬ 
washed  church  rears  its  spire  skyward,  in 
Cuenca  a  large  cathedral,  rich  in  decorative 
accessories,  and  yet  sombre  and  severe  in  its 
wealth,  occupies  the  most  prominent  place 
in  the  town. 

Of  the  origin  of  the  city  nothing  is  known. 
In  the  tenth  and  the  eleventh  centuries  Conca 

342 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

was  an  impregnable  Arab  fortress.  In  1176 
the  united  armies  of  Castile  and  Aragon, 
commanded  by  two  sovereigns,  Alfonso  VIII. 
of  Castile  and  Alfonso  II.  of  Aragon,  laid 
siege  to  the  fortress,  and  after  nine  months’ 
patience,  the  Alcazar  surrendered.  Accord¬ 
ing  to  the  popular  tradition,  it  was  won  by 
treachery:  one  Martin  Alhaxa,  a  captive  and 
a  shepherd  by  trade,  introduced  the  Chris¬ 
tians  disguised  with  sheepskins  into  the  city 
through  a  postern  gate. 

As  the  conquest  of  Cuenca  had  cost  the 
King  of  Castile  such  trouble  (his  Aragonese 
partner  had  not  waited  to  see  the  end  of  the 
siege),  and  as  he  was  fully  conscious  of  its 
importance  as  a  strategical  outpost  against 
Aragon  to  the  north  and  against  the  Moors 
to  the  south  and  east,  he  laid  special  stress  on 
the  city’s  being  strongly  fortified;  he  also 
gave  special  privileges  to  such  Christians  as 
would  repopulate,  or  rather  populate,  the 
nascent  town.  A  few  years  later  Pone 
Lucio  III.  raised  the  church  to  an  episcopal 
see,  appointing  Juan  Yanez,  a  Tolesian 
Muzarab,  to  be  its  first  bishop  (1183). 

Unlike  Sigiienza,  a  feudal  possession  of 
the  bishop,  Cuenca  belonged  exclusively  to 
the  monarch  of  Castile;  the  castle  was  con- 

343 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

sequently  held  in  the  sovereign’s  name  by  a 
governor,  —  at  one  time  there  were  even  four 
who  governed  simultaneously.  Between 
these  governors  and  the  inhabitants  of  the 
city,  fights  were  numerous,  especially  during 
the  first  half  of  the  fifteenth  century,  the 
darkest  and  most  ignoble  period  of  Castilian 
history. 

The  story  is  told  of  one  Dona  Inez  de 
Barrientos,  granddaughter  of  a  bishop  on  her 
mother’s  side,  and  of  a  governor  on  that  of 
her  father.  It  appears  that  her  husband  had 
been  murdered  by  some  of  the  wealthiest 
citizens  of  the  town.  Feigning  joy  at  her 
spouse’s  death,  the  widow  invited  the  mur¬ 
derers  to  her  house  to  a  banquet,  when,  “  de¬ 
spues  de  opipera  cena  (after  an  excellent 
dinner),  they  passed  from  the  lethargy  of 
drunkenness  to  the  sleep  of  eternity,  assas¬ 
sinated  by  hidden  servants.”  The  following 
morning  their  bodies  hung  from  the  windows 
of  the  palace,  and  provoked  not  anger  but 
silent  dread  and  shivers  among  the  terror- 
stricken  inhabitants. 

With  the  Inquisition,  the  siege  by  the  Eng¬ 
lish  in  1706,  the  invasion  of  the  French  in 
1808,  Cuenca  rapidly  lost  all  importance 
and  even  political  significance.  To-day  it 

344 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

is  one  of  the  many  picturesque  ruins  that 
offer  but  little  interest  to  the  art  traveller, 
for  even  its  old  age  is  degenerated,  and  the 
monuments  of  the  thirteenth,  fourteenth, 
and  fifteenth  centuries  have  one  and  all  been 
spoilt  by  the  hand  of  time,  and  by  the  less 
grasping  hand  of  restauradores  —  or  archi¬ 
tect-repairers. 

The  Byzantine  character,  the  Arab  taste 
of  the  primitive  inhabitants,  has  also  been 
lost.  Who  would  think,  upon  examining  the 
cathedral,  that  it  had  served  once  upon  a 
time  as  the  principal  Arab  mosque?  En¬ 
tirely  rebuilt,  as  were  most  of  the  primitive 
Arab  houses,  it  has  lost  all  traces  of  the  early 
founders,  more  so  than  in  other  cities  where 
the  Arabs  remained  but  a  few  years. 

The  patron  saint  of  Cuenca  is  San  Julian, 
one  of  the  cathedral’s  first  bishops,  who  led 
a  saintly  life,  giving  all  he  had  and  taking 
nothing  that  was  not  his,  and  who  retired 
from  his  see  to  live  the  humble  life  of  a 
basket-maker,  seated  with  willow  branches 
beneath  the  arches  of  the  high  bridge,  and 
preaching  saintly  words  to  teamsters  and 
mule-drivers  as  they  approached  the  city, 
until  his  death  in  1207. 

In  the  same  century  the  Arab  mosque  was 
345 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

torn  down  and  the  new  cathedral  begun. 
It  is  a  primitive  ogival  (Spanish)  temple  of 
the  thirteenth  century,  with  smatterings  of 
Romanesque-Byzantine.  Unlike  the  cathe¬ 
dral  of  Sigiienza,  it  is  neither  elegant,  har¬ 
monious,  nor  of  great  architectural  value; 
its  wealth  lies  chiefly  in  the  chapels,  in  the 
doors  which  lead  to  the  cloister,  in  the 
sacristy,  and  in  the  elegant  high  altar. 

The  cloister  door  is  perhaps  one  of  the 
finest  details  of  the  cathedral  church:  deco¬ 
rated  in  the  plateresque  style  general  in  Spain 
in  the  sixteenth  century,  it  offers  one  of  the 
finest  examples  of  said  style  to  be  found 
anywhere,  and  though  utterly  different  in 
ornamentation  to  the  sacristy  of  Sigiienza, 
it  nevertheless  resembles  it  in  the  general 
composition. 

The  nave,  exceedingly  high,  is  decorated 
by  a  blind  triforium  of  ogival  arches;  the 
aisles  are  sombre  and  lower  than  the  nave. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  transept,  broad  and 
simple,  is  similar  to  the  nave  and  as  long  as 
the  width  of  the  church,  including  the  lateral 
chapels.  The  croisee  is  surmounted  by  a 
cimborio,  insignificant  in  comparison  to  those 
of  Salamanca,  Zamora,  and  Toro. 

The  northern  and  southern  extremities  of 
346 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

the  transept  differ  from  each  other  as  regard 
style.  The  southern  has  an  ogival  portal 
surmounted  by  a  rosace;  the  northern,  one 
that  is  plateresque,  the  rounded  arch,  deli¬ 
cately  decorated,  reposing  on  Corinthian 
columns. 

The  eastern  end  of  the  church  has  been 
greatly  modified  —  as  is  clearly  seen  by  the 
mixture  of  fifteenth-century  styles,  and  not 
to  the  advantage  of  the  ensemble.  Byzantine 
pillars,  and  even  horseshoe  arches,  mingle 
with  Gothic  elements. 

Of  the  chapels,  the  greater  number  are 
richly  decorated,  not  only  with  sepulchres 
and  sepulchral  works,  but  with  paintings, 
some  of  them  by  well-known  masters. 

Taken  all  in  all,  the  cathedral  of  Cuenca 
does  not  inspire  any  of  the  sentiments  peculiar 
to  religious  temples.  Xot  the  worst  cathe¬ 
dral  in  Spain,  by  any  means,  neither  as  re¬ 
gards  size  nor  majesty,  it  nevertheless  lacks 
conviction,  as  though  the  artist  who  traced 
the  primitive  plan  miscalculated  its  final 
appearance.  The  additions,  due  to  necessity 
or  to  the  ruinous  state  of  some  of  the  parts, 
were  luckless,  as  are  generally  all  those 
undertaken  at  a  posterior  date. 

The  decorative  wealth  of  the  chapels. 

347 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

which  is  really  astonishing  in  so  small  a 
town,  the  luxurious  display  of  grotesque  ele¬ 
ments,  the  presence  of  a  fairly  good  trans- 
parente,  as  well  as  the  rich  leaf-decoration 
of  Byzantine  pillars  and  plateresque  arches, 
give  a  peculiar  cachet  to  this  church  which  is 
not  to  be  found  elsewhere. 

The  same  can  be  said  of  the  city  and  of 
the  inhabitant.  In  the  words  of  an  authority, 
“  Cuenca  is  national,  it  is  Spanish,  it  is  a 
typical  rural  town.”  Yet,  it  is  so  typical,  that 
no  other  city  resembles  it. 


348 


VII 


TOLEDO 

A  FOREST  of  spires  and  alminar  towers 
rising  from  a  roof-covered  hill  to  pierce  the 
distant  azure  sky;  a  ruined  cemetery  sur¬ 
rounded  on  three  sides  by  the  rushing  Tago 
as  it  cuts  out  a  foaming  path  through  foot¬ 
hills,  and  stretching  away  on  the  fourth 
toward  the  snow-capped  Sierra  de  Gredo  in 
the  distance,  beyond  the  fruitful  prairies  and 
the  intervening  plains  of  New  Castile. 

Such  is  Toledo,  the  famous,  the  wonderful, 
the  legend-spun  primate  city  of  all  the 
Spains,  the  former  wealthy  capital  of  the 
Spanish  Empire! 

Madrid  usurped  all  her  civic  honours 
under  the  reign  of  Philip  II.,  he  who  lost 
the  Armada  and  built  the  Escorial.  Since 
then  Toledo,  like  Alcala  de  Henares,  Segovia, 
and  Burgos,  has  dragged  along  a  forlorn 
existence,  frozen  in  winter  and  scorched  in 
summer,  and  visited  at  all  times  of  the  year 
by  gaping  tourists  of  all  nationalities. 

349 


The  Cathedvals  of  Northern  Spain 

Even  the  approach  to  the  city  from  the 
mile  distant  station  is  peculiarly  character¬ 
istic.  Seated  in  an  old  and  shaky  omnibus, 
pulled  by  four  thrashed  mules,  and  followed 
along  the  dusty  road  by  racing  beggars,  who 
whine  their  would-be  French,  “  JJn  p’it  sou , 
moucliieur,”  with  surprising  alacrity  and  a 
melancholy  smile  in  their  big  black  eyes,  the 
visitor  is  driven  sharply  around  a  bluff,  when 
suddenly  Toledo,  the  mysterious,  comes  into 
sight,  crowning  the  opposite  hill. 

At  a  canter  the  mules  cross  the  bridge  of 
Alcantara  and  pass  beneath  the  gateway 
of  the  same  name,  a  ponderous  structure  still 
guarding  the  time-rusty  city  as  it  did  cen¬ 
turies  ago  when  Toledo  was  the  Gothic 
metropolis.  Up  the  winding  road,  beneath 
the  solemn  and  fire-devastated  walls  of  the 
Alcazar,  the  visitor  is  hurriedly  driven 
along;  he  disappears  from  the  burning  sun¬ 
light  into  a  gloomy  labyrinth  of  ill-paved 
streets  to  emerge  a  few  minutes  later  in  the 
principal  square. 

A  shoal  of  yelling,  gesticulating  interpre¬ 
ters  literally  grab  at  the  tourist,  and  in  ten 
seconds  exhaust  their  vocabulary  of  foreign 
words.  At  last  one  walks  triumphantly  off 
beside  the  newcomer,  while  the  others,  with 

350 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

a  depreciativc  shrug  of  the  shoulders  and 
extinguishing  their  volcanic  outburst  of 
energy,  loiter  around  the  square  smoking 
cigarettes. 

It  does  not  take  the  visitor  long  to  notice 
that  he  is  in  a  great  archaeological  museum. 
The  streets  are  crooked  and  narrow,  so 
narrow  that  the  tiny  patch  of  sky  above  seems 
more  brilliant  than  ever  and  farther  away, 
while  on  each  side  are  gloomy  houses  with 
but  few  windows,  and  monstrous,  nail- 
studded  doors.  At  every  turn  a  church  rears 
its  head,  and  the  cheerless  spirit  of  a  palace 
glares  with  a  sadly  vacant  stare  from  be¬ 
hind  wrought-iron  rejas  and  a  complicated 
stone-carved  blazon.  Rarely  is  the  door 
opened;  when  it  is,  the  passer  catches  a 
glimpse  of  a  sun-bathed  courtyard,  gor¬ 
geously  alive  with  light  and  many  flowers. 
The  effect  produced  by  the  sudden  contrast 
between  the  joyless  street  and  the  sunny 
garden,  whose  existence  was  never  dreamt 
of,  is  delightful  and  never  to  be  forgotten; 
from  Theophile  Gautier,  who  had  been  in 
Northern  Africa,  land  of  Mohammedan 
harems,  it  wrung  the  piquant  exclamation: 
“The  Moors  have  been  here!” 

Every  stick,  stone,  mound,  house,  lantern, 
35i 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

and  what  not  has  its  legend.  In  this  humble 
posada,  Cervantes,  whose  ancestral  castle  is 
on  yonder  bluff  overlooking  the  Tago,  wrote 
his  “ Ilustre  Fregona.”  The  family  history  of 
yonder  fortress-palace  inspired  Zorilla’s 
romantic  pen,  and  a  thousand  and  one  other 
objects  recall  the  past,  —  the  past  that  is 
Toledo’s  present  and  doubtless  will  have  to 
be  her  future. 

Gone  are  the  days  when  Tolaitola  was  a 
peerless  jewel,  for  which  Moors  and  Chris¬ 
tians  fought,  until  at  last  the  Believers  of 
the  True  Faith  drove  back  the  Arabs  who 
fled  southward  from  whence  they  had 
emerged.  Long  closed  are  also  the  famous 
smithies,  where  swords  —  Tolesian  blades 
they  were  then  called  —  were  hammered  so 
supple  that  they  could  bend  like  a  watch- 
spring,  so  strong  they  could  cleave  an  anvil, 
and  so  sharp  they  could  cut  an  eiderdown 
pillow  in  twain  without  displacing  a  feather. 

Distant,  moreover,  are  the  nights  of  capa 
y  espada  and  of  miracles  wrought  by  the 
Virgin;  dwindled  away  to  a  meagre  shadow 
is  the  princely  magnificence  of  the  primate 
prelates  of  all  the  Spains,  of  those  spiritual 
princes  who  neither  asked  the  Pope’s  advice 
nor  received  orders  from  St.  Peter  at  Rome. 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Besides,  of  the  two  hundred  thousand  souls 
proud  to  be  called  sons  of  Toledo  in  the  days 
of  Charles-Quint,  but  seventeen  thousand  in¬ 
habitants  remain  to-day  to  guard  the  nation’s 
great  city-museum,  unsullied  as  yet  by 
progress  and  modern  civilization,  by  immense 
advertisements  and  those  other  necessities  of 
daily  life  in  other  climes. 

The  city’s  history  explains  the  mixture  of 
architectural  styles  and  the  bizarre  modifica¬ 
tions  introduced  in  Gothic,  Byzantine,  or 
Arab  structures. 

Legends  accuse  Toledo  of  having  been 
mysteriously  founded  long  before  the  birth 
of  Rome  on  her  seven  hills.  To  us,  however, 
it  first  appears  in  history  as  a  Roman  strong¬ 
hold,  capital  of  one  of  Hispania’s  provinces. 

St.  James,  as  has  been  seen,  roamed  across 
his  peninsula;  he  came  to  Toledo.  So  de¬ 
lighted  was  he  with  the  site  and  the  people 
—  saith  the  tradition  —  that  he  ordained 
that  the  city  on  the  Tago  should  contain  the 
primate  church  of  all  the  Spains. 

The  vanquished  Romans  withdrew,  leav¬ 
ing  to  posterity  but  feeble  ruins  to  the  north 
of  the  city;  the  West  Goths  built  the  threat¬ 
ening  city  walls  which  still  are  standing,  and, 
having  turned  Christians,  their  King  Re- 

353 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

caredo  was  baptized  in  the  river’s  waters,  and 
Toledo  became  the  flourishing  capital  of  the 
Visigothic  kingdom  (512  A.  D.). 

The  Moors,  in  their  northward  march, 
conquered  both  the  Church  and  the  state. 
Legends  hover  around  the  sudden  apparition 
of  Berber  hordes  in  Andalusia,  and  accuse 
Rodrigo,  the  last  King  of  the  Goths,  of 
having  outraged  Florinda,  a  beautiful  girl 
whom  he  saw,  from  his  palace  window, 
bathing  herself  in  a  marble  bath  near  the 
Tago,  —  the  bath  is  still  shown  to  this  day,  — 
and  with  whom  he  fell  in  love.  The  father, 
Count  Julian,  Governor  of  Ceuta,  called  in 
the  Moors  to  aid  him  in  his  righteous  work 
of  vengeance,  and,  as  often  happens  in  simi¬ 
lar  cases,  the  allies  lost  no  time  in  becoming 
the  masters  and  the  conquerors. 

Nearly  four  hundred  years  did  the  Arabs 
remain  in  their  beloved  Tolaitola;  the 
traces  of  their  occupancy  are  everywhere 
visible:  in  the  streets  and  in  the  patios,  in 
fanciful  arabesques,  and  above  all  in  Santa 
Maria  la  Blanca. 

The  Spaniards  returned  and  brought 
Christianity  back  with  them.  They  erected 
an  immense  cathedral  and  turned  mosques 


354 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

into  chapels  without  altering  the  Oriental 
form. 

Jews,  Arabs,  and  Christians  lived  peace¬ 
fully  together  during  the  four  following  cen¬ 
turies.  Together  they  created  the  Mudejar 
style  tower  of  San  Tomas  and  the  Puerta  de 
Sol.  Pure  Gothic  was  transformed,  ren¬ 
dered  even  more  insubstantial  and  lighter, 
thanks  to  Oriental  decorative  motives.  In 
San  Juan  de  los  Reyes,  the  Mudejar  style 
left  a  unique  specimen  of  what  it  might  have 
developed  into  had  it  not  been  murdered  by 
the  Renaissance  fresh  from  Italy,  where 
Aragonese  troops  had  conquered  the  king¬ 
dom  of  the  Two  Sicilies. 

With  the  first  Philips  —  and  even  earlier 
—  foreign  workmen  came  over  to  Toledo  in 
shoals  from  Germany,  France,  Flanders,  and 
Italy.  They  also  had  their  way,  more  so 
than  in  any  other  Spanish  city,  and  their 
tastes  helped  to  weld  together  that  incon¬ 
gruous  mass  of  architectural  styles  which  is 
Toledo’s  alone  of  all  cities.  Granada  may 
have  its  Alhambra,  and  Cordoba  its  mosque; 
Leon  its  cathedral  and  Segovia  its  Alcazar, 
but  none  of  them  is  so  luxuriously  rich  in 
complex  grandeur  and  in  the  excellent  — 
and  yet  frequently  grotesque  —  confusion  of 

355 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

all  those  art  waves  which  flooded  Spain. 
In  this  respect  Toledo  is  unique  in  Spain, 
unique  in  the  world.  Can  we  wonder  at 
her  being  called  a  museum? 

The  Alcazar,  which  overlooks  the  rushing 
Tago,  is  a  symbol  of  Toledo’s  past.  It  was 
successively  burnt  and  rebuilt;  its  four  fa¬ 
cades,  here  stern  and  forbidding,  there 
grotesque  and  worthless,  differ  from  each 
other  as  much  as  the  centuries  in  which  they 
were  built.  The  eastern  fagade  dates  from 
the  eleventh,  the  western  from  the  fifteenth, 
and  the  other  two  from  the  sixteenth  and 
seventeenth  centuries. 

But  other  arts  than  those  purely  archi¬ 
tectural  are  richly  represented  in  Toledo. 
For  Spain’s  capital  in  the  days  following 
upon  the  fall  of  Granada  was  a  centre  of 
industrial  arts,  where  both  foreign  and 
national  workmen,  heathen,  Jews,  and  Chris¬ 
tians  mixed,  wrought  such  wonders  as  have 
forced  their  way  into  museums  the  world 
over;  besides,  Tolesian  sculptors  are  among 
Spain’s  most  famous. 

As  regards  painting,  one  artist’s  life  is 
wrapped  up  in  that  of  the  wonderful  city 
on  the  Tago;  many  of  his  masterworks  are 
to  be  seen  in  Toledo’s  churches  and  in  the 

356 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

provincial  museum.  I  refer  to  Domenico 
Theotocopuli,  he  who  was  considered  a  mad¬ 
man  because  he  was  a  genius,  and  who  has 
been  called  el  Greco  when  really  he  ought  to 
have  been  called  el  Toledano. 

If  Toledo  is  the  nation’s  architectural 
museum,  the  city’s  cathedral,  the  huge  im¬ 
posing  Gothic  structure,  is,  beyond  a  doubt, 
an  incomparable  art  museum.  Centuries  of 
sculptors  carved  marble  and  berroquena; 
armies  of  artisans  wrought  marvels  in  cloths, 
metals,  precious  stones,  glass,  and  wood,  and 
a  host  of  painters,  both  foreign  and  national, 
from  Goya  and  Ribera  to  the  Greco  and 
Rubens,  painted  religious  compositions  for 
the  sacristy  and  chapels. 

Consequently,  and  besides  the  architectural 
beauty  of  the  primate  church  of  Spain,  what 
interests  perhaps  more  keenly  than  the  study 
of  the  cathedral’s  skeleton,  is  the  study  of  the 
ensemble,  of  that  wealth  of  decorative  de¬ 
signs  and  of  priceless  art  objects  for  which 
the  temple  is  above  all  renowned. 

Previous  to  the  coming  of  the  Moors  in 
the  eighth  century,  a  humble  cathedral 
stood  where  the  magnificent  church  now  lifts 
its  three-hundred-foot  tower  in  the  summer 

357 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

sky.  It  had  been  built  in  the  sixth  century 
and  dedicated  to  the  Virgin,  who  had  ap¬ 
peared  in  the  selfsame  spot  to  San  Ilde- 
fonso,  when  the  latter,  ardent  and  vehement, 
had  defended  her  Immaculate  Honour  be¬ 
fore  a  body  of  skeptics. 

The  Moors  tore  down  or  modified  the 
cathedral,  and  erected  their  principal  mosque 
in  its  stead.  When,  three  hundred  years 
later,  they  surrendered  their  Tolaitola  to 
Alfonso  VI.  (1085),  they  stipulated  for  the 
retention  of  their  mezquita ,  a  clause  the  king, 
who  had  but  little  time  to  lose  squabbling, 
was  only  too  glad  to  allow. 

The  following  year,  however,  King  Al¬ 
fonso  went  of!  on  a  campaign,  leaving  his 
wife  Doha  Constanza  and  the  Archbishop 
Don  Bernardo  to  look  after  the  city  in  his 
absence.  No  sooner  was  his  back  turned, 
when,  one  fine  morning,  Don  Bernardo  ar¬ 
rived  with  a  motley  crowd  of  goodly  Chris¬ 
tians  in  front  of  the  mosque.  He  knocked 
in  the  principal  door,  and,  entering,  threw 
out  into  the  street  the  sacred  objects  of  the 
Islam  cult.  Then  the  Christians  proceeded 
to  set  up  an  altar,  a  crucifix,  and  an  image 
of  the  Virgin;  the  archbishop  hallowed  his 
work,  and  in  an  hour  was  the  smiling  pos- 

358 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

sessor  of  his  see.  Strange  to  say,  Don 
Bernardo  was  no  Spaniard,  but  a  worthy 
Frenchman. 

The  news  of  this  outrage  upon  his  honour 
brought  Alfonso  rushing  back  to  Toledo, 
vowing  to  revenge  himself  upon  those  who 
had  seemingly  made  him  break  his  royal 
word;  on  the  way  he  was  met  by  a  com¬ 
mittee  of  the  Arab  inhabitants,  who,  clever 
enough  to  understand  that  the  sovereign 
would  reinstate  the  mosque,  but  would  ever 
after  look  upon  them  as  the  cause  of  his 
rupture  with  his  wife  and  his  friend  the  prel¬ 
ate.  asked  the  king  to  pardon  the  evil-doers, 
stating  that  they  renounced  voluntarily  their 
mosque,  knowing  as  they  did  that  the  other 
conditions  of  the  surrender  would  be  sacredly 
adhered  to  by  his  Majesty. 

Thanks  to  this  noble  cunning  attitude 
on  the  part  of  the  outraged  Moors,  the  latter 
were  able  to  live  at  peace  within  the  walls 
of  Toledo  well  into  the  seventeenth  century. 

Toward  the  beginning  of  the  thirteenth 
century  Fernando  el  Santo  was  King  of 
Castile,  and  his  capital  w~as  the  city  on  the 
Tago.  The  growing  nation  was  strong  and 
full  of  ambition,  while  the  coming  of  the 
Cluny  monks  and  Flemish  and  German 

359 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

artisans  had  brought  Northern  Gothic  across 
the  frontiers.  So  it  occurred  to  the  sovereign 
and  his  people  to  erect  a  primate  cathedral 
of  Christian  Spain  worthy  of  its  name.  In 
1227  the  first  stone  was  laid  by  the  pious  war¬ 
rior-king.  The  cathedral’s  outline  was  traced: 
a  Roman  cruciform  Gothic  structure  of  five 
aisles  and  a  bold  transept;  two  flanking 
towers,  —  of  which  only  the  northern  has 
been  constructed,  the  other  having  been  sub¬ 
stituted  by  a  cupola  of  decided  Byzantine  or 
Oriental  taste,  —  and  a  noble  western  fagade 
of  three  immense  doors  surmounted  by  a 
circular  rosace  thirty  feet  wide. 

The  size  of  the  building  was  in  itself  a 
guarantee  that  it  would  be  one  of  the  largest 
in  the  world,  being  four  hundred  feet  long 
by  two  hundred  broad,  and  one  hundred  feet 
high  at  the  intersection  of  transept  and  nave. 

It  took  250  years  for  the  cathedral  to  be 
built,  and  even  then  it  was  not  really  com¬ 
pleted  until  toward  the  middle  of  the  eight¬ 
eenth  century.  In  the  meantime  the  nation 
had  risen  to  its  climax  of  power  and  wealth, 
and  showered  riches  and  jewels  upon  its 
great  cathedral.  Columbus  returned  from 
America,  and  the  first  gold  he  brought  was 
handed  over  to  the  archbishop;  foreign 

360 


OLEDO 

CATHEDRAL 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

artisans  —  especially  Flemish  and  German  — 
arrived  by  hundreds,  and  were  employed  by 
Talavera,  Cisneros,  and  Mendoza,  in  the 
decoration  of  the  church.  Unluckily,  addi¬ 
tions  were  made:  the  pointed  arches  of  the 
facade  were  surmounted  by  a  rectangular 
body  which  had  nothing  in  common  with 
the  principle  set  down  when  the  cathedral 
was  to  have  been  purely  ogival. 

The  interior  of  the  church  was  also  en¬ 
larged,  especially  the  high  altar,  the  base 
of  which  was  doubled  in  size.  The  retablo 
of  painted  wood  was  erected  toward  the  end 
of  the  fifteenth  century,  as  well  as  many  of 
the  chapels,  which  are  built  into  the  walls  of 
the  building,  and  are  as  different  in  style 
as  the  saints  to  whom  they  are  dedicated. 

As  time  went  on.  and  the  rich  continued 
sending  their  jewels  and  relics  to  the  cathe¬ 
dral,  the  Treasury  Room,  with  its  pictures  by 
Rubens,  Durer,  Titian,  etc.,  and  with  its 
sagrario, —  a  carved  image  of  Our  Lady, 
crowning  an  admirably  chiselled  cone  of 
silver  and  jewels,  and  covered  over  with 
the  richest  cloths  woven  in  gold,  silver,  silk, 
and  precious  stones. -—was  gradually  filled 
with  hoarded  wealth.  Even  to-day,  when 
Spain  has  apparently  reached  the  very  low 

361 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

ebb  of  her  glory,  the  cathedral  of  Toledo  re¬ 
mains  almost  intact  as  the  only  living  repre¬ 
sentative  of  the  grandeur  of  the  Church  and 
of  the  arts  it  fostered  in  the  sixteenth  century. 

Almost  up  to  the  beginning  of  the  nine¬ 
teenth  century  the  building  was  continually 
being  enlarged,  modified,  and  repaired.  Six 
hundred  years  since  the  first  stone  had  been 
laid!  What  vicissitudes  had  not  the  country 
seen  —  and  how  many  art  waves  had  swept 
over  the  peninsula! 

Gothic  is  traceable  throughout  the  build¬ 
ing:  here  it  is  flamboyant,  there  rayonnant. 
Here  the  gold  and  red  of  Mudejar  ceilings 
are  exquisitely  represented,  as  in  the  chapter- 
room;  there  Moorish  influence  in  azulejos 
(multicoloured  glazed  tiles)  and  in  decora¬ 
tive  designs  is  to  be  seen,  such  as  in  the  horse¬ 
shoe  arches  of  the  triforium  in  the  chapel  of 
the  high  altar.  Renaissance  details  are  not 
lacking,  nor  the  severe  plateresque  taste  (in 
the  grilles  of  the  choir  and  high  altar),  and 
neither  did  the  grotesque  style  avoid  Spain’s 
great  cathedral,  for  there  is  the  double  am¬ 
bulatory  behind  the  high  altar,  that  is  to 
say,  the  transparente ,  a  circular  chapel  of  the 
most  gorgeous  ultra-decoration  to  be  found 
anywhere  in  Spain. 

362 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

Signs  of  decadence  arc  unluckily  to  be 
observed  in  the  cathedral  to-day.  The  same 
care  is  no  longer  taken  to  repair  fallen  bits 
of  carved  stone;  pigeon-lamps  that  burn 
little  oil  replace  the  huge  bronze  lamps  of 
other  days,  and  no  new  additions  are  being 
made.  The  cathedral’s  apogee  has  been 
reached;  from  now  on  it  will  either  remain 
intact  for  centuries,  or  else  it  will  gradually 
crumble  away. 

Seen  from  the  exterior,  the  cathedral  does 
not  impress  to  such  an  extent  as  it  might. 
Houses  are  built  up  around  it,  and  the  small 
square  to  the  south  and  west  is  too  insignifi¬ 
cant  to  permit  a  good  view  of  the  ensemble. 

Nevertheless,  the  spectator  who  is  stand¬ 
ing  near  the  western  fagade,  either  craning 
his  neck  skyward  or  else  examining  the 
seventy  odd  statues  which  compose  the  huge 
portal  of  the  principal  entrance,  is  over¬ 
awed  at  the  immensity  of  the  edifice  in 
front  of  him,  as  well  as  amazed  at  the  amount 
of  work  necessary  for  the  decorating  of  the 
portal. 

The  Puerta  de  los  Leones,  or  the  southern 
entrance  giving  access  to  the  transept,  is  per¬ 
haps  of  a  more  careful  workmanship  as  re¬ 
gards  the  sculptural  decoration.  The  door 

363 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

itself,  studded  on  the  outside  with  nails  and 
covered  over  with  a  sheet  of  bronze  of  the 
most  exquisite  workmanship  in  relief,  is  a 
chef-d'oeuvre  of  metal-stamping  of  the  six¬ 
teenth  century,  whilst  the  wood-carving  on 
the  interior  is  among  the  finest  in  the  cathe¬ 
dral. 

The  effect  produced  on  the  spectator  within 
the  building  is  totally  different.  The  height 
and  length  of  the  aisles,  which  are  buried 
in  shadows,  —  for  the  light  which  enters  illu¬ 
minates  rather  the  chapels  which  are  built 
into  the  walls  between  the  flying  buttresses,  — 
astonishes;  the  factura  is  severe  and  beautiful 
in  its  grand  simplicity. 

Not  so  the  chapels,  which  are  decorated  in 
all  manner  of  styles,  and  ornamented  in  all 
degrees  of  lavishness.  The  largest  is  the 
Muzarab  chapel  beneath  the  dome  which 
substitutes  the  missing  tower;  except  the 
dome,  this  chapel,  where  the  old  Gothic 
Rite  (as  opposed  to  the  Gregorian  Rite)  is 
sung  every  day  in  the  year,  is  constructed  in 
pure  Gothic;  it  contains  a  beautiful  Italian 
mosaic  of  the  Virgin  as  well  as  frescoes  illus¬ 
trating  Cardinal  Cisneros’s  African  wars, 
when  the  battling  prelate  thought  it  was  his 
duty  to  bear  the  crucifix  and  Spanish  rights 

364 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

into  Morocco  as  his  royal  masters  had  carried 
them  into  Granada. 

The  remaining  chapels,  some  of  them  of 
impressive  though  generally  complex  struc¬ 
ture,  will  have  to  be  omitted  here.  So  also  the 
sacristy  with  its  wonderful  picture  by  the 
Greco,  and  the  chapter-room  with  the  por¬ 
traits  of  all  the  archbishops,  the  elegant 
carved  door,  and  the  well-preserved  Mude- 
jar  ceiling,  etc.  And  we  pass  on  to  the 
central  nave,  and  stand  beneath  the  croisee. 
To  the  east  the  high  altar,  to  the  west  the 
choir,  claim  the  greater  part  of  our  attention. 
For  it  is  here  that  the  people  centred  their 
gifts. 

The  objects  used  on  the  altar-table  are  of 
gold,  silver,  jasper,  and  agate;  the  mon¬ 
strance  in  the  central  niche  of  the  altar-piece 
is  also  of  silver,  and  the  garments  worn  by 
the  effigy  are  woven  in  gold,  silk,  and  pre¬ 
cious  stones.  The  two  immense  grilles  which 
close  off  the  high  altar  and  the  eastern  end  of 
the  choir  are  of  iron,  tin,  and  copper,  gilded 
and  silvered,  having  been  covered  over  with 
black  paint  in  the  nineteenth  century  so  as 
to  escape  the  greedy  eyes  —  and  hands!  —  of 
the  French  soldiery.  The  workmanship  of 
these  two  rejas  is  of  the  most  sober  Spanish 

365 


-  y  C.:r  'y.'"  V  :/  X:r:<:;r>:  S/j:?: 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

nave;  on  closer  examination,  the  workman¬ 
ship  is  seen  to  be  both  coarse  and  naive,  — 
primitive  as  compared  to  the  more  finished 
retablos  of  Burgos,  Astorga,  etc. 

To  conclude:  The  visitor  who,  standing 
between  the  choir  and  the  high  altar  of  the 
cathedral,  looks  at  both,  stands,  as  it  were, 
in  the  presence  of  an  immense  riddle.  He 
cannot  classify:  there  is  no  purity  of  one 
style,  but  a  medley  of  hundreds  of  styles, 
pure  in  themselves,  it  is  true,  but  not  in  the 
ensemble.  Besides,  the  personality  of  each 
has  been  lost  or  drowned,  either  by  ultra¬ 
decoration  or  by  juxtaposition.  A  collective 
value  is  thus  obtained  which  cannot  be  pulled 
to  pieces,  for  then  it  would  lose  all  its 
significance  as  an  art  unity  —  a  complex  art 
unity,  in  this  case  peculiar  to  Spain. 

Neither  is  repose,  meditation,  or  frank 
admiration  to  be  gleaned  from  such  a  gigan¬ 
tic  potpourri  of  art  wonders,  but  rather  a 
feeling — as  far  as  we  Northerners  are  con¬ 
cerned —  of  amazement,  of  stupor,  and  of 
an  utter  impossibility  to  understand  such 
a  luxurious  display  of  idolatry  rather  than 
of  faith,  of  scenic  effect  rather  than  of  dis¬ 
creet  prayer. 

But  then,  it  may  just  be  this  idolatry  and 
367 


The  Cathedrals  of  Northern  Spain 

love  of  scenic  effect  which  produces  in  the 
Spaniard  what  we  have  called  religious  awe. 
We  feel  it  in  a  long-aisled  Gothic  temple; 
the  Spaniard  feels  it  when  standing  beneath 
the  croisee  of  his  cathedral  churches. 

The  whole  matter  is  a  question  of  race. 


THE  END. 


368 


Appendices 


CS 


Archbishoprics  and  Bishoprics  of  Northern  Spain 


II 

Dimensions  and  Chronology 

ASTORGA 


See  dedicated  to  Saviour  and  San  Toribio. 

Legendary  (?)  erection  of  see.  1st  century  (oldest  in  peninsula). 
First  historical  bishop,  Dominiciano,  347  A.  D. 

During  Arab  invasion  see  was  being  continually  destroyed  and 
rebuilt. 


369 


Appendices 

1069,  first  cathedral  (on  record)  was  erected. 

1120,  second  cathedral  was  erected. 

Xlllth  century,  third  cathedral  was  erected. 

1471,  fourth  (present)  cathedral  was  begun;  terminated  XVIth 
century. 

XV th  and  XVIth  century  ogival;  imitation  of  that  of  Leon. 
Chief  attractions  :  Northern  front,  plateresque  retablo. 


AVILA 


Dedicated  to  San  Salvador. 

First  bishop  (legendary  ?),  San  Segundo,  in  1st  century. 

See  destroyed  during  Arab  invasion. 

First  bishop  after  Reconquest,  Jeronimo  in  Xlth  century. 

Date  of  foundation  and  erection  unknown. 

Legendary  foundation,  1091  ;  finished  in  1105  (?). 

Late  Xllth  century  Spanish  Gothic  fortress  church. 

Apse  Xllth  century;  transept  XIVth  century. 

Western  front  XVth  century;  tower  late  XIVth  century. 

Width  of  transept  and  of  nave,  30  feet. 

Width  of  aisles,  25  feet. 

Chief  attractions  :  Exterior  of  apse,  nave  and  transept  with  rose 
windows,  tomb  of  Bishop  Tostada. 


BURGOS 


See  dedicated  to  the  Holy  Mary  and  Son. 

Bishopric  erected,  t 07 5  ;  archbishopric,  1085. 

First  bishop,  Don  Simon  ;  first  archbishop,  Gomez  II. 

Present  cathedral  begun,  1221. 

First  holy  mass  celebrated  in  altar-chapel,  1230. 
Building  terminated  300  years  later  (1521). 
Xlllth-XIVth  century  Spanish  ogival. 

Length  (excluding  Chapel  of  Condestable),  273  feet. 
Length  of  transept,  195  feet;  width,  32  feet. 

Height  of  lantern  crowning  croisee,  162  feet. 

Height  of  western  front,  47  feet. 

370 


A ppendices 

Height  of  towers,  273  feet;  width  at  base,  19  feet. 

Width  of  nave,  31  feet ;  of  aisles,  19  feet. 

Chief  attractions:  The  ensemble,  interior  decoration,  lantern  on 
croisee,  the  Chapel  of  the  Condestable,  choir,  high  altar,  etc.  (With 
that  of  Toledo,  the  richest  cathedral  in  Spain.) 


CALAHORRA 


See  dedicated  to  San  Emeferio  and  San  Celedonio,  martyrs. 
Bishopric  erected  Vth  century;  first  bishop,  Silvano. 

During  Arab  invasion  see  removed  to  Oviedo  (750). 

Removed  to  Alava  in  IXth  century ;  in  Xth  century,  to  Najera. 
In  1030,  moved  again  to  Calahorra;  first  bishop,  Don  Sancho. 
Since  XIXth  century,  one  bishop  appointed  to  double  see  Cala- 
horra-Santo  Domingo  de  la  Calzada. 

This  double  see  to  be  removed  to  Logrono. 

Cathedral  begun  in  Xllth  century;  terminated  in  XI Vth  century. 
XHIth  century  Gothic  (body  of  church  only). 

Western  front  of  a  much  later  date. 

Chief  attraction :  Choir-stalls. 


CIUDAD  RODRIGO 


See  dedicated  to  the  Virgin  and  Child. 

Origin  of  bishopric  in  Calabria  under  Romans  (legendary  ?). 
Foundation  of  city  in  1150;  erection  of  see,  1170. 

First  bishop,  Domingo,  1170. 

See  nominally  suppressed  in  1870;  in  reality  the  suppression  has 
not  taken  place  as  yet. 

Cathedral  church  begun  toward  1160. 

Xllth  century  Romanesque-Gothic  edifice. 

Tower  and  western  front  date  from  XVIIIth  century. 

Lady-chapel  from  XVIth  century. 

Building  suffered  considerably  from  French  in  1808. 

Chief  attractions :  Romanesque  narthex,  cloister,  choir -stalls, 
Romanesque  doors  leading  into  transept. 

371 


Appendices 

CORIA 


See  dedicated  to  Santa  Maria. 

Date  of  erection,  338. 

First  known  bishop,  Laquinto,  in  589. 

During  Moorish  domination  the  bishopric  entirely  destroyed. 

See  reestablished  toward  beginning  Xlllth  century. 

Cathedral  church  begun  in  1120. 

Terminated  in  XVIth  century. 

Is  an  unimportant  village  church  rather  than  a  cathedral. 

One  aisle,  150  feet  long,  52  feet  wide,  84  feet  high. 

Chief  attractions :  Paseo,  or  cloister  walk ;  in  lady-chapel,  sepul¬ 
chre  of  XVIth  century. 


CUENCA 


See  dedicated  to  the  Virgin. 

Erected  in  1183. 

First  bishop,  Juan  Yanez. 

Xlllth  century  ogival  church  greatly  deteriorated,  in  a  ruinous 
state. 

Tower  which  stood  on  western  end  fell  dowm  recently. 

Length  of  building,  312  feet;  width,  140  feet. 

Chief  attractions  :  Cloister  door,  chapels. 


LEON 


See  dedicated  to  San  Froilan  and  Santa  Maria  de  la  Blanca. 

Date  of  erection  not  known. 

First  known  bishop,  Basilides,  252  A.  D. 

During  Arab  invasion,  see  existed  on  and  off. 

First  stone  of  present  cathedral  laid  in  1199. 

The  building  did  not  begin  until  1250;  terminated  end  of  XIVth 
century. 

Xllth  century  French  ogival. 

Vaulting  above  croisee  fell  down  in  1631. 

Southern  front  rebuilt  in  1694. 

372 


A ppendices 

Whole  cathedral  partly  ruined  in  1743. 

Closed  to  public  by  government  in  1850. 

Reopened  in  1901. 

Total  length,  300  feet ;  width,  130  feet ;  height  of  nave,  100  feet. 
Height  of  northern  tower,  211  feet;  of  southern,  221  feet. 
Length  of  each  side  of  cloister,  97  feet. 

Chief  attractions :  The  ensemble,  windows,  choir-stalls,  cloister. 


LOGRORO 

See  dedicated  to  the  Holy  Virgin. 

Compare  Calahorra. 

Santa  Maria  raised  to  collegiate  church  in  1435. 

Old  building  torn  down  in  same  year,  excepting  some  few  remains. 
Present  church  begun  in  1435;  not  terminated  yet. 

Enlargements  being  introduced  at  the  present  date. 

Belongs  to  Spanish-Grotesque. 

Chief  attractions:  Western  front,  trascoro,  towera. 


LUGO 


See  dedicated  to  the  Mother  and  Child. 

Bishopric  erected  in  Vth  century;  first  bishop,  Agrestio,  in  433. 

Cathedral  begun  in  1129;  completed  in  1177. 

Xllth  century  Galician  Romanesque  spoilt  by  posterior  additions. 
Building  greatly  reformed  in  XVIth  to  XVIIIth  centuries. 

Chief  attractions  :  The  ensemble  (interior),  western  portal,  exterior 
of  apse. 


MADRID  -  ALCALA 


See  erected  in  1850. 

MADRID 

Temporary  cathedral  dedicated  to  San  Isidro. 
Seventeenth  century  building  of  no  art  merit. 

373 


A ppendices 

New  cathedral  dedicated  to  the  Virgen  de  la  Almudena. 

In  coarse  of  construction;  begun  in  1885. 

ALCALA 

Dedicated  to  Santos  Tusto  and  Pastor;  called  la  Magistral. 

In  a  ruinous  state  ;  closed,  and  see  temporarily  removed  to  Jesuit 
temple. 

Constructed  in  XVth  century,  and  raised  to  suffragan  in  same 
century. 

Severe  and  naked  (gloomy)  Spanish-Gothic. 

Interior  of  building  cannot  be  visited. 


MONDOXEDO 


See  dedicated  to  the  Virgin. 

Bishopric  removed  here  from  Ribadeo,  late  Xllth  century. 
First  (or  second)  bishop,  Don  Martin,  about  1219. 

Foundation  of  cathedral  dates  probably  from  Xllth  century. 
Xlllth  century  Galician  Romanesque  structure. 

Greatly  spoilt  by  posterior  additions. 

Ambulatory  dates  from  XVth  or  XVIth  century. 

Rectangular  in  form  ;  120  feet  long  by  71  wide. 

Height  of  nave,  45  feet ;  of  aisles,  28  feet. 


OREXSE 


See  dedicated  to  St.  Martin  of  Tours  and  St.  Mary  Mother. 
Bishopric  erected  previous  to  IVth  century  (?). 

Erection  of  present  building  begun  late  Xllth  century. 

Probably  terminated  late  Xlllth  century. 

Xlllth  century,  Galician  Romanesque  with  pronounced  ogival 
mixture. 

Chief  attractions :  Portico  del  Paraiso,  western  portal,  decora¬ 
tion  of  the  interior. 


OSMA 


See  dedicated  to  San  Pedro  de  Osma. 
Legendary  (?)  erection  of  see  in  91  a.  d. 


A ppendices 

First  bishop,  San  Astorgio. 

First  historical  bishop,  Juan  I  ,  in  589. 

Destruction  of  see  during  Arab  invasion. 

See  restored,  1100;  first  bishop,  San  Pedro  de  Osma. 

Xllth  century  cathedral  destroyed  in  XUIth  century,  excepting 
a  few  chapels. 

Erection  of  new  cathedral  begun  in  1232;  terminated,  beginning 
XIVth  century. 

XUIth  century  Romanesque-Gothic  (not  pure). 

Ambulatory  introduced  in  XVIIth  century. 

Chief  attractions  :  Retablo,  reliefs  of  trasaltar. 


OVIEDO 


See  dedicated  to  the  Mother  and  Child. 

Bishopric  erected,  812;  first  bishop,  Adulfo. 

Until  Xllth  century  cathedral  was  a  basilica  ;  destroyed. 
Romanesque  edifice  erected  in  Xllth  century;  destroyed  1380. 
Present  edifice  begun  1380;  completed  1550. 

XVth  century  ogival  (French  ?). 

Decoration  of  the  interior  terminated  XVIIth  century. 

Tower  and  spire,  XVIth  century. 

Camara  Santa  dates  from  Xllth  century;  a  remnant  of  the  early 
Romanesque  edifice. 

Total  length,  218  feet;  width,  72  feet. 

Height  of  nave,  65  feet;  of  aisles,  33  feet. 

Height  of  tower,  267  feet. 

Chief  attractions  :  Fleche,  decoration  of  the  interior,  rosaces  in 
apse,  Gothic  retablo,  cloister,  Camara  Santa. 


PALENCIA 


See  dedicated  to  Mother  and  Child  and  San  Antolin,  martyr. 
Date  of  erection  unknown;  TId  or  Hid  century. 

One  of  the  earliest  bishops,  San  Toribio. 

During  the  Arab  invasion  city  and  see  completely  destroyed. 
First  bishop  after  Reconquest,  Bernardo,  in  1035. 

XVth  century  florid  Gothic  building. 

Erection  begun  in  1321. 


375 


A p pen  dices 

Eastern  end  finished  prior  to  1400. 

Century  later  western  end  begun  on  larger  scale. 

Temple  completed  in  1550. 

Total  length,  405  feet. 

Width  (at  transept),  160  feet. 

Height  (of  nave),  95  feet. 

Chief  attractions  :  The  ensemble  (interior  and  exterior),  Bish¬ 
op’s  Door,  choir-stalls,  trascoro. 


PLASENCIA 

Dedicated  to  the  Holy  Virgin. 

Erection  of  see  12  years  after  foundation  city  (1190). 

First  bishop,  Domingo ;  second,  Adam ;  both  were  warrior  prel¬ 
ates. 

Old  cathedral  (few  remains  left)  commenced  in  beginning  XIVth 
century. 

Partially  destroyed  to  make  room  for  — 

New  cathedral,  commenced  in  1498. 

XVIth  century  Renaissance-Gothic  edifice. 

Ultra-decorated  and  ornamented  in  later  centuries. 

Chief  attractions  :  Choir-stalls,  western  entrance,  decorative  mo¬ 
tives,  sepulchres. 


SALAMANCA 

Bishopric  existed  in  Vth  century.  First  known  bishop,  Eleuterio 

(589b 

VIHth  century,  devoid  of  notices  concerning  see. 

Xth  century,  7  bishops  mentioned  —  living  in  Leon  or  Oviedo. 
Xlth  century,  no  news,  even  name  of  city  forgotten. 

First  bishop  de  modernis ,  Jeronimo  of  Valencia  (1102). 

Old  cathedral  still  standing;  city  possesses  therefore  two  cathe¬ 
drals. 


OLD  CATHEDRAL 

Dedicated  to  St.  Mary  (Santa  Maria  de  la  Sede). 

In  1152  already  in  construction;  not  finished  in  1299. 

Xllth  or  XUIth  century,  Castilian  Romanesque  with  ogival 
mixture. 


376 


A ppendices 

Nave,  33  feet  wide,  igo  feet  long,  60  feet  high. 

Aisles,  20  feet  wide,  180  feet  long,  40  feet  high. 

Thickness  of  walls,  10  feet. 

Part  of  cathedral  demolished  to  make  room  for  new  in  1513. 
Chief  attractions  :  Cimborio,  central  apsidal  chapel,  and  retablo. 
NEW  CATHEDRAL 

Dedicated  to  the  Mother  and  Saviour. 

Begun  in  1513  ;  not  completed  until  XVIIIth  century. 

Originally  Late  Gothic  building.  Plateresque,  Herrera  and  gro¬ 
tesque  additions. 

Compare  churches  of  Valladolid  and  Segovia. 

Rectangular  in  shape ;  378  feet  long,  18 1  feet  wide. 

Height  of  nave,  130  feet;  thatjDf  aisles,  88  feet. 

Width  of  nave,  50  feet;  of  aisles,  37  feet. 

Length  (and  width)  of  chapels,  28  feet;  height,  54  feet. 

Height  of  tower,  320  feet. 

Chief  attractions  :  Western  fagade,  decorative  wealth,  ensemble. 


SANTANDER 

See  dedicated  to  San  Emeterio,  martyr,  and  to  the  Virgin. 
Monastical  church  of  San  Emeterio  raised  to  collegiate  in  XHIth 
century. 

Bishopric  erected  in  1775. 

Cathedral  church  built  in  XIHth  century. 

Chief  attraction  :  Crypt,  fount. 

SANTIAGO 


See  dedicated  to  St.  James,  patron  saint  of  Spain. 

Bishopric  erected  previous  to  842 ;  first  bishop,  Sisnando. 
Archbishopric  erected  Xllth  century;  first  archbishop,  Diego 
Galmirez. 

Cathedral  church  begun,  1078;  terminated,  1211. 

Xllth  century  Romanesque  building. 

Exterior  suffered  grotesque  and  plateresque  repairs,  XVIIth  cen¬ 
tury. 

Cloister  dates  from  1530. 


3  77 


A ppendices 

Length,  305  feet ;  width  (at  transept),  204  feet. 

Height  of  nave,  78  feet;  of  aisles,  23  feet;  of  cupola,  107  feet; 
of  tower  (de  la  Trinidad),  260  feet ;  of  western  towers,  227  feet. 
Length  of  each  side  of  cloister,  114  feet;  width,  19  feet. 

Chief  attractions :  The  ensemble  (interior),  Portico  de  la  Gloria, 
crypt,  cloister,  southern  portal. 


SANTO  DOMINGO  DE  LA  CALZADA 


See  dedicated  to  Santo  Domingo  de  la  Calzada. 

Bishopric  dates  from  1227. 

Compare  Calahorra. 

Cathedral  church  begun  toward  1150. 

Terminated,  1250. 

Xllth-XIIIth  century  Romanesque-Gothic  structure. 

Chief  attraction:  The  retablo,  XVth  and  XVIth  sepulchres. 


SEGOVIA 


See  dedicated  to  San  Fruto  and  the  Virgin. 

First  bishop  (legendary  ?),  San  Hierateo,  in  1st  century. 

See  known  to  have  existed  in  527. 

First  historical  bishop,  Peter  (589). 

During  Arab  invasion  only  one  bishop  mentioned,  Ilderedo,  940. 
First  bishop  after  the  Reconquest,  Don  Pedro,  in  in 5. 

First  stone  of  present  cathedral  laid,  1525. 

Cathedral  consecrated,  1558;  finished  in  1580. 

Cupola  erected  in  1615. 

Gothic-Renaissance  building. 

Tower  struck  by  lightning  and  partly  ruined,  1620. 

Rebuilt  (tower)  in  1825. 

Total  length,  341  feet;  width,  156  feet. 

Height  of  dome,  218  feet. 

Width  of  nave  and  transept,  44  feet;  aisles,  33  feet. 

Chief  attractions  :  Old  cloister,  apse,  tower. 

378 


Appendices 

SIGUENZA 


See  dedicated  to  Mother  and  Child. 

First  known  bishop,  Protogones,  in  Vlth  century. 

During  Arab  invasion  no  mention  is  made  of  see. 

First  bishop  after  Reconquest,  Bernardo  (1195). 

Fourth  bishop  an  Englishman,  Jocelyn. 

Date  of  erection  of  the  cathedral  unknown. 

Probably  Xllth  or  Xlllth  century  Romanesque  Gothic  edifice. 
Ambulatory  added  in  XVIth  century. 

Length  of  building,  313  feet;  width,  112  feet. 

Height  of  nave,  68  feet ;  of  aisles,  63  feet. 

Circumference  of  central  pillar,  50  feet. 

Chief  attractions:  Western  front,  sacristy,  rose  window  in  south 
ern  transept  arm. 


SORIA 


See  to  be  moved  here  from  Osma. 

Church  dedicated  to  St.  Mary. 

Raised  to  suffragan  of  Osma  in  Xllth  century. 

XVIth  century,  Gothic-plateresque  building. 

Xllth  century,  western  front ;  Castilian  Romanesque. 
Xllth  century,  Romanesque  cloister. 

Chief  attractions  :  Western  front,  cloister. 


TOLEDO 

See  dedicated  to  the  Virgin  Mother  and  her  Apparition  to  San 
Ildefonso. 

Bishopric  erected  prior  to  513  a.  d. 

One  of  first  bishops  is  San  Ildefonso. 

During  Arab  domination  see  remains  vacant. 

First  archbishop,  Don  Bernardo  (1085). 

Primate  cathedral  of  all  the  Spains  since  XVth  century. 

First  stone  of  present  building  laid  in  1227. 

Church  completed  in  1493. 


379 


Appendices 

Additions,  repairs,  etc.,  dating  from  XVIth-XVIIIth  century. 

Length,  404  feet ;  width,  204  feet ;  height  of  tower,  298  feet. 
Height  of  nave,  98  feet. 

Height  of  principal  door,  20  feet;  width,  7  feet. 

Diameter  of  rose  window  in  western  front,  30  feet. 

Chief  attractions :  The  ensemble,  decorative  and  industrial  acces¬ 
sories,  chapter-room,  sacristy,  paintings,  bell-tower,  etc.  (The  rich¬ 
est  cathedral  in  Spain.) 


TORO 

Collegiate  Church  dedicated  to  St.  Mary. 

Existence  of  bishopric  cannot  be  proven,  though  believed  to  have 
been  erected  during  first  decade  of  Reconquest  in  Xth  century. 

Is  definitely  made  a  suffragan  of  Zamora  in  XVIth  century. 

Cathedral  —  or  collegiate  —  erected  end  of  XHth  or  beginning 
of  XHIth  century. 

Castilian  Romanesque  building. 

Chief  attractions  :  Military  aspect  of  building,  height  of  walls, 
massive  cimborio. 


TUY 


See  dedicated  to  the  Virgin  Mary. 

Bishopric  erected  in  Vlth  century. 

Cathedral  erected  in  first  half  XHth  century. 

Suffered  greatly  from  earthquakes,  especially  in  1755. 
XHth  century  Galician  Romanesque  in  spoilt  conditions. 
Western  porch  or  narthex  dates  from  XVth  century. 

Chief  attractions :  Western  front,  northern  portal,  cloister. 


VALLADOLID 


Santa  Maria  la  Antigua  raised  to  suffragan  of  Palencia,  1074. 
Church  built  in  XHth  century,  Castilian  Romanesque. 


380 


A ppendices 

Ruins  still  to  be  seen  to  rear  of  — 

Santa  Maria  la  Mayor.  Seat  of  archbishopric  since  1850. 
Bishopric  established,  1595;  first  bishop,  Don  Bartolome. 

Cathedral  begun  in  1585  by  Juan  de  Herrera. 

Continued  XVIIth  century  by  Churriguera. 

Escorial  style  spoilt  by  grotesque  decoration. 

Tower  falls  down  in  1841  ;  new  one  being  erected. 

Rectangular  in  shape;  length,  411  feet;  width,  204  feet. 
Transept  half-way  between  apse  and  western  front. 
Croisde  surmounted  by  cupola. 

Only  one  of  four  towers  was  constructed. 


VITORIA 


See  dedicated  to  Santa  Maria. 

St.  Mary  erected  to  collegiate,  XVth  century. 

Bishopric  erected  in  XIXth  century. 

Cathedral  church  erected  in  XIVth  century. 

XIVth  century  Late  Gothic  structure  of  no  art  interest. 
Tower  of  XVIth  and  XVIIth  centuries. 

Chief  attraction :  In  sacristy  a  canvas  called  Piety. 


ZAMORA 

See  dedicated  to  San  Atilano  and  the  Holy  Mother. 
Bishopric  established  905  ;  first  bishop,  San  Atilano. 
Destroyed  by  Moors  in  998  ;  vacancy  not  filled  until  1124. 
First  bishop  de  modernis,  Bernardo. 

Cathedral  commenced  1151  ;  vaulting  terminated  1174. 
Xllth  century  Castilian  Romanesque. 

Chief  attractions  :  The  cimborio,  southern  entrance. 


A ppendices 


III 


A  List  of  the  Provinces  of  Spain  and  of  the 
Middle  Age  States  or  Kingdoms  from 
which  they  have  evolved. 


Principal  Kingdoms 

Conquered  States 

Prese7it-day  Provinces 

Castile 

Galicia 

La  Coruna* 

Lugo  * 

Orense  * 
Pontevedra  * 

Asturias 

Oviedo  * 

Leon 

Leon  * 

Palencia  * 

Zamora* 

Basque  Provinces 

Guipuzcua  * 
Vizcaya  * 

Alava  * 

Rioja 

Logrono  * 

Old  Castile 

Santander  * 

Burgos  * 

Soria  * 

Valladolid  * 

Avila  * 

Segovia  * 
Salamanca  * 

New  Castile 

Madrid  * 
Guadalajara  * 
Toledo  * 

Cuenca  * 

Ciudad  Real 

Extremadura 

Caceres  * 

Badajoz 

Andalusia 

Sevilla 

Huelva 

Cadiz 

Cordoba 

Jaen 

Granada 

Granada 

Malaga 

Almeria 

382 


Appendices 


Principal  Kingdoms 

Conquered  States 

Present-day  Provinces 

Castile 

Murcia 

Murcia 

Albacete 

Aragon 

Aragon 

Zaragoza 

Huesca 

Teruel 

Cataluna 

Barcelona 

Gerona 

Lerida 

Tarragona 

Valencia 

Valencia 

Alicante 

Castellon 

Navarra 

Navarra  (Pamplona) 

NOTES 

The  star  (*)  indicates  the  provinces  treated  of  in  this  volume ;  the 
remainder  will  be  treated  of  in  Volume  II. 

Two  provinces  have  not  been  mentioned  :  that  of  the  Balearic 
Isles  (belonged  to  the  old  kingdom  of  Aragon),  and  that  of  the 
Canary  Isles  (belonged  to  the  old  kingdom  of  Castile). 

Dates  have  not  been  indicated.  For  so  complicated  was  the  evo¬ 
lution  of  the  different  states  (regions)  throughout  the  Middle  Ages, 
that  a  series  of  tables  would  be  necessary,  as  well  as  a  series  of 
geographical  maps. 

The  above  list,  however,  shows  Spain  (minus  Portugal)  at  the 
death  of  Fernando  (the  husband  of  Isabel)  in  1516,  as  well  as  the 
component  parts  of  Castile  and  Aragon.  The  division  of  Spain 
into  provinces  dates  from  1833. 

A  bishopric  does  not  necessarily  coincide  with  a  province.  Thus, 
the  Province  of  Lugo  has  two  sees  (Lugo  and  Mondoiiedo) ;  on  the 
other  hand,  three  Basque  Provinces  have  but  one  see  (Vitoria). 

Excepting  in  the  case  of  Navarra,  whose  capital  is  Pamplona,  the 
different  provinces  of  Spain  bear  the  name  of  the  capital.  Thus 
the  capital  of  the  Province  of  Madrid  is  Madrid,  and  Jaen  is  the  capi¬ 
tal  of  the  province  of  the  same  name. 


383 


Bibliography 


Espana,  sus  Monumentos  y  Artes,  su  Naturaleza  6  Historia : 
Burgos,  by  R.  Amador  de  los  Rios. 

Santander,  by  R.  Amador  de  los  Rios. 

Navarra  y  Logrono,  Vol.  III.,  by  P.  de  Madrazo. 

Soria,  by  N.  Rabal. 

Galicia,  by  M.  Murguia. 

Alava,  etc.,  by  A  Pirala. 

Extremadura,  by  N.  Diaz  y  Perez. 

Recuerdos  y  Bellezas  de  Espana: 

Castilla  La  Nueva,  by  J.  M.  Quadrado. 

Asturias  y  Leon,  by  J.  M  Quadrado. 

Valladolid,  etc.,  by  J.  M.  Quadrado. 

Salamanca,  by  J.  M.  Quadrado. 

Espagne  et  Portugal,  by  Baedeker. 

Historia  del  Pueblo  Espanol  (Spanish  translation),  by  Major  M. 
Hume 

Historia  de  Esoana,  by  R.  Altamira. 

Toledo  en  la  Mano,  by  S.  Parro. 

Estudios  Historico-Artisticos  relativos  a  Valladolid,  by  Marti  y 
Monso. 


INDEX 


Acuna,  Don,  297,  298. 

Adan,  Maria,  271 ;  Don, 
Bishop  of  Plasencia,  287, 
376. 

Adulfo,  Bishop  of  Oviedo, 
138,  375- 

African  Wars,  364. 

Agrestio,  Bishop  of  Lugo, 
373- 

Agricolanus,  151. 

Agueda  River,  269. 

Alagon  River,  278,  280. 

Alarcos,  Battle  of,  284,  314. 

Alava,  198,  371. 

Alcala  (See  Alcala  de  He- 
nares). 

Alcala  de  Fenares  ( See  Al¬ 
cala  de  Henares). 

Alcala  de  Henares,  61,  64, 
212,  223,  321,  322,  326- 
334,  349;  Churches  of 

(See  under  Churches) ; 
University  of,  328. 

Alcala  de  San  Justo  (See 
Alcala  de  Henares). 

Alcantara,  Bridge  of,  350. 

Alcazar  (Cuenca),  343, 
(Segovia)  314,  320,  355, 
(Toledo)  336,  350,  356. 

Aleman,  275,  289. 

Alfonso,  307. 

Alfonso  I.,  221,  230. 

Alfonso  II.,  343. 

Alfonso  III.,  245. 

Alfonso  IV.,  153. 

Alfonso  V.,  139,  294. 


Alfonso  VI.,  198,  206,  233, 
237.  253,  293,  335,  358, 

359. 

Alfonso  VII.,  153,  154,  161, 
162,  336. 

Alfonso  VIII.,  188,  192,  193, 
210,  223,  258,  280,  284, 

286,  338,  343. 

Alfonso  IX.,  258. 

Alfonso  XL,  179,  245. 
Alfonso  the  Chaste,  102,  104, 
137,  138,  139,  Hi- 
Alfonsos,  Dynasty  of,  103, 
200. 

Alfonso  el  Batallador,  305. 
Al-Kala  (See  Alcala  de 
Henares). 

Alhambra,  The,  22,  41,  355. 
Alhaxa,  Martin,  343. 
Al-Karica  (See  Coria). 
Almanzor,  79,  150,  152,  171, 
176,  177,  230,  232. 

Alps,  The,  58. 

Altamira,  Rafael,  14. 

Alvarez,  Diego,  286. 

America,  29,  32,  90,  295,  296, 

360. 

Anaya,  Diego  de,  Tomb  of, 
263. 

Andalusia,  16,  22,  66,  67, 
76,  81,  161,  191,  303,  314, 
337,  354- 

Ansurez,  Pedro,  293;  Family 
of,  294. 

Aquitania,  167. 

Arabs  and  Arab  Invasions, 

387 


Index 


23,  28,  7 1, 79, 80,  hi,  1 12, 

1 14,  123,  124,  147,  148,  152, 

170,  177, 221, 225, 253, 254, 

280, 296, 313, 323, 327, 354, 

370,  371,  372,  375.  378, 

379- 

Aragon,  23,  25,  58,  66,  67,  68, 

71,  203,  210,  303,  305,  331, 

335.  336,  342,  343- 

Arco  de  Santa  Maria 
(Burgos),  180. 

Armada,  The,  31,  90,  132,  189, 

349- 

Arriago,  193. 

Arrianism,  153. 

Astorga,  70,  71,  120,  167- 
173,  174.  176,  197,  219,  220, 

246,  369;  Bishop  of  ( See 
under  Bishops)  ;  Cathedral 
of  (See  under  Cathe¬ 
drals). 

Asturias,  57,  66,  70,  79,  103, 

104,  123,  138,  139,  146,  147, 

148,  150,  153,  162,  167,  175, 

176,  177,  213. 

Asturica  Augusta  ( See  As¬ 
torga). 

Augustabriga,  269. 

Auria  (See  Orense). 

Austurio,  Archbishop  of  To¬ 
ledo,  331. 

Avila,  70,  7 1,  253,  302-31 1, 

312,  313,  370 Bishop  of 
(See  under  Bishop)  t  Ca¬ 
thedral  of  (See  under 
Cathedrals). 

Baeza,  161. 

Baedeker,  115. 

Barcelona,  66. 

Barrientos,  Inez  de,  344. 

Bartolome,  Bishop  of  Valla¬ 
dolid,  381. 

Basilides,  Bishop  of  Astorga, 

168. 

Basilides,  Bishop  of  Leon, 

151.  372.  . 

Basque  Provinces,  33,  192. 

388 


Bay  of  Biscay,  189. 

Bayona,  131,  132;  Church  of 
(See  under  Churches). 

Bayonne  in  Gascogne,  272. 

Becerra,  172. 

Berengario,  254. 

Bermudo  II.,  162. 

Bermudo  III.,  171,  176. 

Bernardo,  Bishop  of  Palen- 
cia,  222,  375. 

Bernardo,  Bishop  of  Sig- 
iienza,  336,  337,  379. 

Bernardo,  Archbishop  of  To¬ 
ledo,  213,  358,  359,  379- 

Bernardo,  Bishop  of  Zamora, 
232. 

Berruguete,  50,  295. 

Betica  (See  Andalusia). 

Bishops  and  Archbishops 
(Basilides),  168;  Astorga 
(Dominiciano),  167,  369; 
Avila  (Jeronimo),  370, 
(Pedro)  308,  (San  Se- 
gundo)  370,  (Tostada) 
370;  Burgos  (Don  Simon), 
370,  (Gomez  II.)  370; 
Calahorra  (Don  Sancho), 
198,  371,  (Silvano)  371; 
Cuidad  Rodrigo  (Do¬ 
mingo),  270,  371,  (Pedro 
Diaz)  270;  Coria  (La- 
quinto),  279,  372;  Cuenca 
(Juan  Yanez),  343,  372; 
Iria  (Theodosia),  76,  77, 
78;  Leon  (Basilides), 
151,  272;  Lugo  (Agreatio), 
373,  (Odoario)  104;  Mon- 
donedo  (Martin),  97,  374; 
Osma,  211,  (Juan  I.)  214, 
375,  (Pedro)  224,  375, 

(San  Astorgio)  375 ; 
Orense  (Diego),  116; 
Oviedo  ( Adulfo) ,  138, 

(Gutierre)  139;  Palencia 
(Bernardo),  222,  375,  (San 
Toribio)  375;  Plasencia 
(Adan),  287,  376,  (Do¬ 
mingo)  286,  376;  Sala- 


Index 


manca  (Eleuterio),  253, 

376,  (Jeronimo)  254,  305, 
376;  Santiago,  254,  337, 
(Diego  Galmirez)  So,  116, 

377,  (Sisnando),  377;  Se¬ 
govia  (Don  Pedro),  312, 
314,  378,  (Ilderedo)  313, 

378,  (San  Hierateo),  312, 
378;  Sigiienza  (Austurio), 
331,  (Bernardo)  336,  337, 

379,  (Jocelyn)  338,  379, 

(Protogones)  335,  379; 

Toledo,  307,  331,  337,  (Ber¬ 
nardo)  213,  358,  359,  379, 
(Carillo)  331,  334,  (Ilde- 
fonso)  358,  379,  (Tavera) 
274;  Tuy,  132;  Valladolid 
(Bartolome),  381,  (Ber¬ 
nardo)  232;  Zamora  (San 
Atilano),  231,  381. 

“Bishop’s  Door”  (Palencia 
Cathedral),  228,  376. 

Blanca  de  Bourbon,  294,  336. 
Boabdil  el  Chico,  22. 

Bologna,  251. 

Bourbon,  Blanca  de,  294,  336. 
Bourbon  Dynasty,  30. 

Braga,  112,  120,  167. 
Brigandtia  ( See  Corunna). 
Brunetiere,  75. 

Burgos,  39,  43,  67,  69,  70,  71, 
154,  174-180,  186,  189,  196, 
223,  237,  251,  253,  296,  303, 
349,  370;  Bishop  of  ( See 
under  Bishops)  ;  Cathe¬ 
dral  of  ( See  under  Cathe¬ 
drals). 

Burgo  de  Osma,  214. 

Cadiz  335. 

Calabria,  269,  270,  371. 
Calahorra,  188,  197,  198,  199, 
204,  206,  371 ;  Bishop  of 
(See  under  Bishops)  ;  Ca¬ 
thedral  of  (See  under  Ca¬ 
thedrals). 

Calle  de  Puente,  190, 

Camara  Sagrada,  69. 


Camara  Santa  (Oviedo),  144, 

375. 

Cangas,  137,  138,  147. 

Cantabric  Mountains,  190. 

Cantabric  Sea,  189. 

Carillo,  Archbishop  of  To¬ 
ledo,  331,  334;  Tomb  of, 
333,  334- 

Carlist  Wars,  33. 

Carranza,  203. 

Carrarick,  King  of  the  Sue- 
vos,  1 14. 

Castellum  Tude  (See  Tuy). 

Castile,  16,  23,  25,  59,  66-77, 
81,  103,  154,  174-177,  189, 
192,  198,  200,  201,  206,  221, 
233,  245,  280,  294;  296,  302, 
305,  336,  343- 

Castile,  Counts  of,  253,  279, 
312,  335- 

Cathedrals,  Astorga,  167-173, 
367,  369;  Avila,  302-31 1, 
370;  Burgos,  62,  141,  156, 
161,  174-187,  202,  227-241, 
267,  367-370 ;  Calahorra, 

206-208,  373,  378;  Canter¬ 
bury  (St.  Thomas),  338; 
Ciudad  Rodrigo,  269-277, 
371 ;  Coria,  261,  278,  283, 
372;  Huesca,  203,  331; 

Leon,  62,  141,  150-166,  171, 
372;  Lugo,  99,  1 02- 1 09, 

1 13,  1 1 5,  1 17,  340,  373; 

Madrid,  San  Isidro  and 
Virgen  de  la  Almudena, 
321,  326,  373  ;  Mondonedo, 
95-101,  374;  Najera,  201- 
202;  Orense,  Santa  Maria 
la  Madre,  110-119,  126,  374; 
Osma,  212-216,  374,  375; 
Neustra  Senora  de  la 
Blanca  (See  Leon)  ;  Ov¬ 
iedo,  137-144,  156,  172,  182, 
375 ;  Pulchra  L  e  o  n  i  n  a 
(See  Leon)  ;  Palencia,  219- 
229,  239,  375 ;  Plasencia, 
275,  284-289,  376;  Rome 
(St.  Peter’s),  300;  Sala- 


389 


Index 


manca,  Old  and  New  Ca¬ 
thedrals,  251-268,  275,  299, 
317,  346,  376,  377;  Santi¬ 
ago,  Santiago  de  Campo- 
stela,  75-88,  92,  99,  100,  106, 
107,  1 13,  116,  xi8,  127,  240, 
241,  377 ;  Santander,  188- 
191,  377;  Segovia,  312-320, 
377.  378;  Sevilla,  187; 

Santo  Domingo  de  la  Cal- 
zada,  202-204,  378;  Sig- 
uenza,  335-341,  346,  379; 
Tours,  St.  Martin,  374; 
T  u  y ,  Santa  Maria  la 
Madre,  113,  120-130,  249, 
380;  Valladolid,  293-301, 
377,  380;  Vitoria,  192-195, 
381 ;  Zamora,  230-243,  247, 
248,  249,  260,  261,  262,  263, 
264,  275,  346,  381 ;  Toledo, 
16,  64,  143,  159,  161,  184, 
317,  3i9,  332,  349-368,  371, 
379;  Toulouse,  St.  Satur- 
nin,  82;  Toro,  Santa  Maria 
la  Mayor,  244-250,  260,  261, 
262,  263,  264,  273,  275,  346, 
380. 

Celedonio,  188,  197,  206. 

Celts,  The,  84,  102. 

Cervantes,  295,  326,  352. 

Charles-Quinte,  223,  283,  314, 
353- 

Choir  Stalls,  48,  49. 

Churches :  Alcala  de  He- 

nares,  La  Magistral,  328, 
332,  374;  San  Justo,  328, 
332;  Burgos,  Chapel  of  the 
Condestable,  39,  185,  370, 
371 ;  Bayona  and  Vigo,  131- 
133;  Corunna  (Colegiata), 
91,  93,  Church  of  Santiago, 
93,  94,  Santa  Maria  del 
Campo,  92 ;  Cordoba,  The 
Mosque,  41,  68;  Cuenca, 
342-348,  372;  Leon,  San 
I  s  i  d  o  r  o  ,  153,  163,  191, 
Chapel  of  St.  James,  159, 
Santa  Maria  la  Blanca,  372, 


Santa  Maria  la  Redonda, 
San  Froilan,  372  ;  Logrono, 
204,  Santo  Domingo  de  la 
Calzada,  204;  Madrid,  San 
Antonio  de  la  Florida,  324, 
San  Francisco  el  Grande, 
324,  San  Isidro,  321,  325, 
3 73;  Oviedo,  Salvador,  139; 
Palencia,  San  Antolin,  375 ; 
Rioja,  Santa  Maria  la  Re¬ 
donda,  204-206,  San  Juan 
de  Banos,  165 ;  Santander, 
San  Emeterio,  189,  377; 
Saragosse,  Church  of  the 
Pillar,  205,  206,  299,  Santo 
Domingo  de  la  Calzada, 
202-204,  378;  Soria,  209- 
212,  379;  Segovia,  Santa 
Clara,  316;  Toledo,  San 
Juan  de  las  Reyes,  355, 
Santa  Maria  la  Blanca,  354, 
San  Tomas,  355,  Puerta  de 
Sol,  355 ;  Valladolid,  Santa 
Maria  la  Mayor,  293,  300, 
381,  Santa  Maria  la  An- 
tiqua,  380,  Venta  de  Banos, 
57;  Zamora,  La  Magdalen, 
243- 

Churriguera,  63,  300,  301, 

381. 

Cid,  The  Great,  234,  254. 

Cid  Campeador  (Rodrigo 
Diaz  de  Vivar),  179. 

Cisneros,  Cardinal,  326,  328, 
33i,  334,  361,  364;  Tomb 
of,  333,  334-. 

Ciudad  Rodrigo,  269  -  277, 
371 ;  Bishop  of  (See  under 
Bishops)  ;  Cathedral  of 
( See  under  Cathedrals). 

Clement  IV.,  210. 

Cluny  Monks,  The,  24,  30,  60, 
359- 

Coa  River,  269. 

Columbus,  Christopher,  28, 
31,  32,  295,  360. 

Complutum  (Alcala),  327, 
330. 


39O 


Index 


Complutenses,  327-329. 

Comuneros,  The,  314. 

Conca  ( See  Cuenca). 

Conde,  Manuel,  154. 

Condestable,  Chapel  of  the 
(Burgos),  39,  185,  370, 

371;  Tomb  of  (Burgos), 
186. 

Constanza,  Dona,  358. 

Convent  of  Guadalupe,  283. 

Convent  of  the  Mercedes 
(Valladolid),  297. 

Convent  of  San  Juan  de 
Dios,  334. 

Cordoba,  147,  152,  191,  279, 
286;  Mosque  of,  41,  68, 
355- 

Coria,  68,  71,  269,  278-283, 
284,  372;  Bishop  of  (See 
under  Bishops)  ;  Cathedral 
of  ( See  under  Cathe¬ 
drals)  ;  Roman  Wall  of, 
279. 

Coronada,  271. 

Cortez,  246,  272. 

Corunna,  89,  90,  91,  1x3; 
Churches  of,  89-94. 

Council  of  Toledo,  253,  279, 
312,  335. 

Counts  of  Castile,  153,  162, 
163,  174,  175,  180. 

Covadonga,  145,  146,  149; 

Battle  of,  145. 

Cristeta,  303. 

“  Cristo  de  las  Batallas  ” 
(Salamanca),  254. 

Cuenca,  68,  70,  71,  342-348, 
372;  Alcazar,  343;  Battle 
of,  338;  Bishop  of  (See 
under  Bishops)  ;  Church  of 
(See  under  Churches). 

Cunninghame  -  Graham,  Mr., 
21. 

Curia  Vetona,  or  Caurium 
(See  Coria). 

Del  Obisco  (Portal  in  Toro 
Cathedral),  273. 


Del  Sarto,  Maria,  Tomb  of, 
320. 

Diana,  Temple  to,  102,  103. 

Diaz,  Pedro,  Bishop  of  Ciu¬ 
dad  Rodrigo,  270. 

Dolfo,  Vellido,  234,  235. 

Domingo,  Bishop  of  Ciudad 
Rodrigo,  270,  371. 

Domingo,  Bishop  of  Plasen- 
cia,  286,  376. 

Dominguez,  Juan,  Bishop  of 
Osma,  214,  375. 

Dominiciano,  Bishop  of  As- 
torga,  167,  369. 

Drake,  Sir  Francis,  132. 

Duero  River,  209,  213,  237, 
244,  279. 

Duke  of  Lancaster,  112. 

Diirer,  361. 

Eleanor  (Daughter  of  Henry 
II.),  338. 

Early  Christian  Art,  54. 

Eastern  Castile,  70. 

Ebro  River,  193,  196,  198,  199, 
200. 

Eleuterio,  Bishop  of  Sala¬ 
manca,  253,  376. 

Elvira,  233,  245. 

England,  29,  31,  78,  90,  189, 
295- 

Engracia  (of  Aragon),  312. 

Enrique  II.,  King  of  Castile, 
204,  320. 

Enrique  IV.,  245. 

Enriquez,  Don,  256. 

Escorial  (Madrid),  31,  62, 
165,  265,  295,  299,  322,  349. 

Extremadura,  16,  69,  278,  303. 

Favila,  Duke,  122,  146. 

Felipe  el  Hermoso  (Philip 
the  Handsome),  295. 

Ferdinand,  25,  32,  255. 

Fernan,  Knight,  298. 

Fernando  I.,  161,  176-178,  2 22, 
232,  245,  304. 

Fernando  II.,  269. 


391 


Index 


Fernando  Alfonso,  203. 

Fernando  el  Santo,  359. 

Florinda,  354. 

Flanders,  355. 

Foment,  50,  203,  204. 

Fonseca,  Bishop,  229;  Fam¬ 
ily,  249. 

France,  24,  53,  57,  58,  78,  168, 
224,  355- 

Froila  (or  Froela),  137,  141, 
230. 

Froissart,  112. 

Galicia,  23,  40,  60,  66,  68,  75, 
76,  79,  80,  88,  90,  96,  97,  98, 
100,  102,  103,  104,  105,  107, 
109,  no,  hi,  112,  1 16,  1 18, 
120,  121,  122,  123,  125,  128, 
130,  131,  132,  137.  138,  169, 
1 77,  199,  233,  238. 

Galician  Romanesque  Art,  59. 

Galmirez,  Diego,  Archbishop 
of  Santiago,  80,  377. 

Garcia,  Count  of  Castile,  162, 
163,  176,  233. 

Garcia,  Don,  King  of  Na¬ 
varra,  198,  201. 

Garcia,  Son  of  Alfonso  III., 
245- 

Gasteiz  (See  Vitoria). 

Gautier,  Theophile,  351. 

Germany,  78,  355. 

Gibraltar,  22;  Straits  of,  21, 
28. 

Gijon,  147. 

Giron,  Don  Gutierre,  314. 

Gold  and  Silversmiths,  50-51. 

Gomez  II.,  Bishop  of  Burgos, 
370- 

Gonzalez,  Fernan,  175,  176, 
177,  179- 

Gonzalo,  Arias,  233. 

Goschenen  in  Switzerland, 
342. 

Goya,  325,  357. 

Granada,  22,  67,  287,  355,  356, 

365. 

Greco,  357,  365- 


Gredo  Mountains,  278. 

Greeks,  The,  89,  132. 

Guadalajara,  335. 

Guadalete,  Battle  of,  147. 

Guadalquiver,  189. 

Guaderrama  Mountains,  253, 
278. 

Guardia,  121. 

Gudroed,  123. 

Gutierre,  Bishop  of  Oviedo, 
139- 

Hannibal,  252. 

Harbour  of  VictOiy,  188. 

Henry  IV.,  258,  294,  307. 

Hermesinda,  147. 

Herrero,  62,  205,  265,  295,  299, 
300,  301,  381. 

Huesca,  Cathedral  of,  203, 
331. 

Hume,  Martin,  14. 

Ierte  River,  286. 

Ilderedo,  Bishop  of  Segovia, 
3i3,  378. 

Ildefonso,  Bishop  of  Toledo, 
379- 

Inquisition,  The,  26,  27,  344, 

Ireland,  89. 

Iria,  76,  77. 

Ironcraft,  51,  52. 

Irun,  192. 

Isabella,  25,  32,  255. 

Isabel  the  Catholic,  193,  222, 
245,  246,  294,  295,  315. 

Italy,  24,  37,  57,  58,  62,  78, 
224,  355- 

Jeronimo,  Bishop  of  Avila, 
37°- 

Jeronimo,  Bishop  of  Sala¬ 
manca,  254,  305,  376. 

Jesuit  School  (Madrid),  326. 

Tocelyn,  Bishop  of  Sigiienza, 
^38.  379- 

John  I.,  213. 

Juan  I.,  Bishop  of  Osma,  214, 
375- 


392 


Index 


Juana,  294. 

Juana  la  Beltranaja,  245. 

Juana  la  Loca,  295. 

Julian,  Count,  354. 

Juni,  Juan  de,  50,  214. 

Jura,  The,  97,  196. 

La  Magistral,  Church  of  (Al¬ 
cala  de  Henares),  328,  332, 
374- 

La  Mancha,  16,  342. 

Lancaster,  Duke  of,  112. 

Laquinto,  Bishop  of  Coria, 
279,  372. 

Las  Navas  de  Tolosa,  280. 

Leon,  23,  25,  43,  66,  69,  70, 
79,  80,  103,  139,  150-166, 
167,  171,  174,  175,  176,  177, 
197,  233,  253,  254,  304,  305, 
355,  372,  376;  Bishop  of 
( See  under  Bishops)  ;  Ca¬ 
thedral  of  ( See  under 
Cathedrals)  ;  King  of,  161. 

Leon  X.,  328. 

Leonese,  The,  254. 

Leonor,  Dona,  179,  297,  298. 

“  Leyes  de  Toro,”  246. 

Libelatism,  167,  168. 

Lisbon,  126,  272. 

Locus  Augusti  (See  Lugo). 

Logrono,  71,  197,  199,  200, 
204,  371,  373;  Church  of 
(See  under  Churches). 

Loja,  287. 

Lucio  III.,  343. 

Lugo,  90,  91,  93,  gs,  102-109, 
no,  1 12,  120,  137,  154,  373; 
Bishop  of  (See  under 
Bishops)  ;  Cathedral  of 
(See  under  Cathedrals). 

Lupa,  75,  76,  102,  103. 

Luz,  Dona,  122,  146. 

Madrazo,  206. 

Madrid,  66,  68,  71,  178,  212, 
253,  293,  295,  296,  313,  314, 
321-326,  328,  329,  349,  373; 
Cathedral  of  (See  under 


Cathedrals)  ;  Churches  of 
(See  under  Churches). 

Maestro  Mateo,  87. 

Maestro  Raimundo,  106,  126. 

Magerit,  322,  323. 

Manuza;  147,  148. 

Manzanares  River,  323,  324. 

Marcelo,  151. 

Martin,  Bishop  of  Mon- 
donedo,  97,  374. 

Martel,  Charles,  22. 

Medinat-el-Walid,  296. 

Mendoza,  361. 

Mindunietum,  96. 

Mino  River,  70,  102,  no,  hi, 
1 12,  120,  121,  124,  125. 

Miranda,  196. 

Mirobriga,  269. 

Molina,  Maria  de,  294. 

Mondonedo,  93,  95-101,  374; 
Bishop  of  (See  under 
Bishops)  ;  Cathedral  of 
(See  under  Cathedrals). 

Monroy  Family,  256,  286. 

Monforte,  no. 

Moore,  General,  90. 

Moorish  Art,  55,  56. 

Moors,  The,  22,  24,  25,  26,  28, 
34,  38,  55,  56,  59,  7i,  76,  79, 
104,  137,  153,  154,  161,  171, 
175,  198,  207,  210,  230,  232, 
251,  254,  279,  281,  285,  287, 
304,  305,  308,  313,  323,  331, 
343,  352,  354,  357,  358,  359, 
381. 

Morales,  Divino,  326. 

Morgarten,  145. 

Morocco,  364. 

Mosque  of  Cordoba,  41,  68, 
355- 

Mount  of  Joys,  81. 

Mndeiar  Art,  63-65. 

Muguira,  81. 

Murillo,  195. 

Najera,  197,  198,  201,  202, 
371 ;  Cathedral  of  (See 
under  Cathedrals). 


393 


Index 


Nalvillos,  306,  307. 

Napoleon,  90,  164. 

Navarra,  23,  33,  58,  66,  68, 
70,  80,  174,  176,  192,  196, 
198,  201,  202,  210. 

Navas  de  Tolosa,  Battle  of, 
286. 

Neustra  Senora  de  la  Blanca 
( See  Cathedral  of  Leon). 

New  World,  The  ( See  Amer¬ 
ica). 

Norman  Vikings,  79,  96,  112, 
123,  124. 

North,  The,  69. 

Numantia,  197,  209,  219,  230. 

Odoario,  Bishop  of  Lugo,  104. 

Ogival  Art,  61. 

Olaf,  123. 

Old  Castile,  Plain  of,  69. 

Ordonez,  Diego,  235,  236. 

Ordono  I.,  152,  153,  154. 

Ordono  II.,  153,  159. 

Orduno  III.,  175. 

Orense,  70,  71,  110-119,  120, 
168,  170,  220,  374;  Bishop 
of  ( See  under  Bishops)  ; 
Cathedral  of  ( See  under 
Cathedrals)  ;  Portico  del 
Paraiso,  116,  374. 

Osma,  209,  210,  212-216,  374- 
379;  Bishops  of  ( See 
under  Bishops)  ;  Cathe¬ 
dral  of  ( See  under  Cathe¬ 
drals). 

Oviedo,  23,  43,  69,  70,  80,  102, 
103,  137-144,  145,  ISO,  1 54. 
198,  37L  375 1  Bishop  of 
( See  under  Bishops)  ;  Ca¬ 
thedral  of  ( See  under  Ca¬ 
thedrals)  ;  Church  ( See 
under  Churches). 

Oxford,  251. 

Padilla,  Maria  de,  294,  336. 

Palencia,  71,  168,  219-229,  258, 
293,  375 ;  Bishop  of  ( See 
under  Bishops)  ;  “  Bishop’s 


Door,”  228,  376;  Cathedral 
of  (See  under  Cathe¬ 
drals)  ;  University  of,  223- 
224,  258. 

Pallantia,  220,  221. 

Palos  Harbour,  32. 

Pamplona,  174. 

Paris,  251;  Treaty  of,  32. 

Pedro,  Prince  Don,  320. 

Pedro,  Bishop  of  Avila,  308. 

Pedro,  Bishop  of  Osma,  224, 
375- 

Pedro,  Bishop  of  Segovia, 
378. 

Pelayo,  146,  147,  148,  149. 

Pelea  Gonzalo,  Battle  of,  245. 

Pena  Grajera,  320. 

Perez,  Doha  Maria,  256,  257, 
258. 

Perez,  Hernan,  286. 

Peter,  Bishop  of  Segovia,  312, 
314,  378. 

Peter  the  Cruel,  179,  204,  245, 
294,  336. 

Philip  II.,  31,  62,  189,  295, 
322,  349. 

Philip  III.,  285,  308. 

Philip  IV.,  294. 

Philip  the  Handsome,  295. 

Phoenicians,  The,  89,  132. 

Picos  de  Europa,  145. 

Pico  de  Urbion,  209. 

“  Piedad  ”  (Pity),  195. 

Pillar  at  Saragosse,  299. 

Pisuerga,  293,  296. 

Plasencia,  71,  257,  261,  271, 
283,  284-289,  308,  376; 

Bishop  of  ( See  under 
Bishops)  ;  Cathedral  of 
( See  under  Cathedrals). 

Plaza,  Bartolome  de  la 
(Bishop  of  Valladolid), 
295- 

Plaza  de  Cervantes  (Alcala), 
330. 

Plaza  de  la  Constitution 
(Alcala),  330. 

Plaza  Mayor  (Alcala),  330. 


394 


Index 


Plutarch,  252. 

Poitiers,  22. 

Polyglot  Bible,  The,  328. 

Portico  de  la  Gloria  (Santi¬ 
ago),  85-88,  92,  378. 

Portico  del  Paraiso 
(Orense),  116,  374. 

Portugal,  120,  122,  125,  231, 
256,  278;  King  of,  297, 
298. 

Portuguese,  The,  112,  123, 
124,  244,  246. 

Priscilianism,  167,  168,  169, 
170,  220. 

Prisciliano,  169. 

Protogenes,  Bishop  of  Sigii- 
enza,  335,  379. 

Puerta  de  la  Plateria  (Santi¬ 
ago),  83,  107,  183. 

Puerta  de  la  Sol  (Toledo), 
355- 

Puerta  de  los  Leones  (To¬ 
ledo),  363. 

Pulchra  Leonina  {See  Cathe¬ 
dral  of  Leon). 

Pyrenees,  53,  58,  59,  168. 

Quadrado,  Senor,  308. 

Quixote,  Don,  330. 

Rachel  of  Toledo,  285. 

Ramiro,  153. 

Recaredo,  152,  354. 

Reconquest,  The,  269,  370, 
375,  379,  380. 

Redondela,  131. 

Reformation,  The,  26. 

Renaissance,  54,  62;  Italian, 

63- 

Retablo,  49-50. 

Rhine,  The,  120. 

Ribadeo,  96,  374. 

Ribera,  357. 

Rioja,  The  Upper,  70,  196, 
197,  198,  200,  201,  206. 

Rodrigo,  146. 

Rodrigo  Diaz  de  Vivar  (Cid 
Campeador),  179. 


Rodrigo,  King  of  Visigoths, 
21,  354- 

Romanesque  Art,  57-58,  59. 

Romans,  The,  18,  19,  24,  75, 
89,  96,  102,  1 12,  1 13,  120, 
X2I,  132,  150,  I74,  l88,  252, 
293,  303,  326,  335,  353,  371. 

Rome,  29,  220,  353. 

Rubens,  357,  361. 

Ruy  Diaz  Gaona,  200. 

Sabina,  303. 

Salamanca,  71,  178,  223,  251, 
268,  269,  296,  302,  305,  313, 
376;  Bishop  {See  under 
Bishops) ;  Cathedral  {See 
under  Cathedrals) ;  Uni¬ 
versity  of,  258,  259. 

San  Antolin,  221,  224,  225, 
375- 

San  Antonio  de  la  Florida, 
324- 

San  Astorgio,  Bishop  of 
Osma,  375. 

San  Atilano,  Bishop  of  Za¬ 
mora,  231,  381. 

San  Bartolome  (Salamanca), 
Chapel  of,  263. 

San  Celedonio,  371. 

Sancha,  162,  163,  176. 

Sancho,  Bishop  of  Calahorra, 
198,  37i- 

Sancho,  Count  of  Castile, 
162,  233,  234,  293. 

Sancho,  Don,  of  Navarra, 
192. 

Sancho  el  Mayor,  King  of 
Navarra,  221,  222. 

Sancti  Emetrii,  188. 

San  Emeterio,  188,  197,  206, 
37i,  377- 

San  Emeterio,  Church  of 
(Santander),  189. 

San  Fernando,  25,  177-178. 

San  Francisco,  Convent  of, 
IX3- 

San  Francisco  el  Grande 
(Madrid),  324, 


395 


Index 


San  Froilan,  158,  372. 

San  Fruto,  312,  378. 

San  Hierateo,  312,  378. 

San  Udefonso,  Bishop  of  To¬ 
ledo,  358,  379. 

San  Isidro  (of  Madrid),  324. 

San  Isidro,  Church  of  (Ma¬ 
drid),  321,  325. 

San  Isidoro,  Church  of 
(Leon),  153,  162,  163,  164, 

191,  324. 

San  Isidoro,  161,  162,  164. 

San  Juan  de  Banos,  165. 

San  Juan  de  Dios,  Convent 
of,  334- 

San  Juan  de  los  Reyes  (To¬ 
ledo),  _  355. 

San  Julian,  345. 

San  Justo,  330,  331,  333,  374. 

San  Justo,  Church  of  (Al¬ 
cala  de  Henares),  328. 

San  Pastor,  330,  331,  333, 

374- 

San  Salvador,  370. 

San  Segundo,  303. 

Santa  Clara  (Segovia),  316. 

Santa  Maria  de  la  Blanca 
(Leon),  372. 

Santa  Maria  la  Blanca  (To¬ 
ledo),  354. 

Santa  Maria  la  Madre 
(Orense),  114. 

Santa  Maria  la  Madre 
(Tuy),  120-130. 

Santa  Maria  la  Redonda,  204. 

Santander,  69,  188-191,  197, 

277 ;  Cathedral  of  (See 
under  Cathedrals). 

Santiago,  75-88,  91,  92,  97, 

102,  103,  104,  1 16,  131,  167, 

176,  199,  377;  Archbishop 
of  (See  under  Bishops)  ; 
Cathedral  of  (See  under 
Cathedrals). 

San  Tomas  (Toledo),  355. 

Santo  Domingo,  203. 

Santo  Domingo  de  la  Cal- 
zada,  197,  199,  200,  202-204, 

396 


37i,  378;  Church  of  (See 
under  Churches). 

San  Toribio  (Astorga),  369; 
(Palencia),  375. 

San  Vicente,  152,  303. 

Saracens,  The,  213,  312. 

Saragosse,  67,  167,  196,  197, 
203;  Church  (See  under 
Churches). 

Sardinero,  190. 

Scipio,  209. 

Segovia,  71,  253,  303,  312,  313, 
325,  349,  378;  Bishop 

(See  under  Bishops)  ;  Ca¬ 
thedral  (See  under  Cathe¬ 
drals). 

Seguncia  (or  Segoncia),  See 
Sigiienza. 

Sempach,  145. 

Sevilla,  67,  91,  161,  189,  317; 
Cathedral  of,  187. 

Sierra  de  Guaderrama,  66,  68, 
174,  305- 

Sierra  de  Gredos,  66,  302,  349. 

Sierra  de  Gata,  66,  69,  278. 

Sigiienza,  70,  7L  335-34C  343, 
379;  Bishop  of  (See  under 
Bishops)  ;  Cathedral  of 
(SVc  under  Cathedrals). 

Silvano,  Bishop  of  Calahorra, 
198,  371. 

Simon,  Bishop  of  Burgos, 
370- 

Sinfosio,  170. 

Sisnando,  Bishop  of  Santiago, 
377- 

Sohail,  21-22. 

Soria,  71,  209-212,  213,  379; 
Church  of  (See  under 
Churches). 

State  Archives  Building 
(Alcala),  327. 

Street,  87,  107. 

St.  Astorgio,  213. 

St.  Francis  of  Assisi,  271. 

St.  James,  75,  76,  77,  78,  79, 
88,  138,  213,  323,  353; 

Chapel  of  (Leon),  159. 


Index 


St.  Martin,  hi,  114. 

St.  Martin  of  Tours  (Cathe¬ 
dral),  374. 

St.  Paul,  312. 

St.  Peter,  213,  352. 

St.  Peter’s  at  Rome,  300. 

St.  Thomas  of  Canterbury, 
Chapel  of,  338. 

St.  Saturr.in  (Toulouse),  82. 

Suevos,  in,  122;  King  of, 
1 14,  170. 

Tago  River,  278,  280,  349, 
352,  353,  354,  356,  359- 

Talaitola  ( See  Toledo). 

Talavera,  361. 

Tarik,  22. 

Tarragon,  67,  167,  197,  219, 
335- 

Tavera,  Bishop  of  Toledo, 

274- 

Theodomio,  198. 

Theodosio,  Bishop  of  Iria, 
76,  77,  78. 

Theotocopuli,  Domenico,  357. 

Titian,  361. 

Toledo,  67,  68,  70,  71,  91,  123, 
146,  150,  167,  171,  178,  237, 
251,  278,  280,  285,  286,  304, 
307,  322,  327,  328,  329,  335, 
342,  349-368,  379;  Alcazar, 
336,  350,  356;  Archbishop 
of  ( See  under  Bishops); 
Cathedral  ( See  under  Ca¬ 
thedrals)  ;  Council  of,  213, 
253,  279,  312,  335. 

Tomb,  Bishop  Tostado,  311, 
370;  Carillo  (Alcala),  333, 
334;  Cisneros  (Alcala), 
33.3,  334;  Condestable,  186; 
Diego  de  Anaya  (Sala¬ 
manca),  263;  Maria  del 
Sarto,  320;  Prince  Don 
Pedro,  320. 

Toribio,  170,  220,  224. 

Toro,  71,  233,  244-250,  279, 
302,  380;  Cathedral  of 

( See  under  Cathedrals). 


Torquemada,  27. 

Tostado,  Bishop,  Tomb  of, 
311,  370. 

Tours,  22,  1 14. 

Tower  de  la  Trinidad  (Santi¬ 
ago),  83,  378. 

Tower  of  Hercules,  89,  90. 

Trajanus,  151,  303. 

Transition  Art,  60. 

Tuy,  70,  71,  91,  110,  in,  120- 
130,  131,  146,  167,  168,  380; 
Bishop  of  ( See  under 
Bishops)  ;  Cathedral  of 
( See  under  Cathedrals). 

University  of  Alcala  de  Ple- 
nares,  328. 

University  of  Palencia,  223, 
224,  258. 

University  of  Salamanca,  258, 

259. 

Urbano  II.,  231. 

Urbano  IV.,  224. 

Urraca,  Dona,  162,  233,  234, 
235,  236. 

Vacceos,  219. 

Valdejunquera,  Battle  of,  175- 

Valencia,  66,  67,  254. 

Valencia  Cupola,  118. 

Valenqa  do  Minho,  120. 

Valentine,  312. 

Valladolid,  67,  70,  71,  72,  178, 
189,  223,  244,  293-301,  303, 
3r4»  335.  380;  Bishop  of 
(See  under  Bishops)  ;  Ca¬ 
thedral  of  ( See  under  Ca¬ 
thedrals). 

Vallisoletum,  293. 

Van  Dyck,  195. 

Vela,  Count  of,  163. 

Venta  de  Banos,  57,  225. 

Veremundo,  171. 

Vigo,  no,  113,  131-133; 

Church  of  (See  under 
Churches) . 

Villamayor,  96. 

Villavieja,  335. 


397 


Index 


Vinuesa.  209. 

Virgin  de  la  Atocha,  324. 
Virgin  de  la  Almudena,  324, 


325.  374- 


Viriato,  278. 

Visigoths,  The,  20,  24,  122, 
152,  220,  327,  353. 

Vitoria,  69,  192-195,  381 ;  Ca¬ 
thedral  of  ( See  under  Ca¬ 
thedrals). 


War  for  Independence,  164. 
Wellington,  Duke  of,  272. 
Western  Castile,  69;  Art  of, 
59- 

Witiza,  122,  123,  146,  167. 


Yanez,  Juan,  Bishop  of 
Cuenca,  343,  372. 

Yuste,  283. 

Zadorria  River,  193. 

Zamora,  71,  230-243,  244,  246, 
269,  279,  293,  380;  Cathe¬ 
dral  of  ( See  under  Cathe¬ 
drals). 

Zaragoza  ( See  Saragosse). 

Zeth,  279. 

Zorilla,  352. 

Zurbaran,  229,  283. 

Zunigas,  286. 

Zuniguez,  298. 


398 


GETTY  RESEARCH  INSTITUTE 


3  3125  01524  2510 


